Coffee, Tea
by Daykieee
Summary: When Lilith Park started her new job as a medical examiner, she did not expect boredom to be her daily routine. That is, until Dr. Spencer Reid walked into her clinic with a curious case on his hands...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

 **This is my first fanfic, so please bear with me :) It's going to be a slowburn romance, so just be patient!**

 **It's set around season 7, but not canon**

 **On that note, welcome to chapter 1 :)**

 **Spencer**

The familiar screech of the train echoed in the station, signalling its halt.

Spencer grabbed his shoulder bag and stepped onto the platform. This was a new day and the job, a new case.

After scanning his ID, Spencer climbed into the elevator. He always had this habit of coming to work early. After all, no one was waiting for him at his flat, and he loved his job more than anything else.

The elevator doors opened.

Spencer stepped into the empty office. So silent, so early. Soon the place would start to fill, busy and loud. But for now, he had the level to himself.

He smiled.

Starting the coffee machine, the young doctor hummed.

"Doctor Who, huh?"

Spencer nearly jumped, the scorching hot drink nearly spilling out of its cup.

Garcia was behind him. Probably hungover, he thought, judging by her messy hair and terrible breath.

"Why are you here so early?" The agent asked, a little bothered to have to share the office.

"Hotch asked me to come early to prepare the presentation of the new case. It's a weird one, really..."

Spencer shrugged. A little challenge was always good.

"So...Late night out yesterday?" He asked, sipping on his coffee and slightly smirking.

Penelope gave an equally cunning smirk.

"That is none of your business, young man!"

 **Lilith**

"Merde!"

Lilith reached for her alarm, clearly having abused of her power over the snooze button.

The young girl threw the covers off her body and clumsily paced toward her bathroom. Toothpaste in one hand, toothbrush in the other. She was now executing her morning routine at four times the usual speed; her makeup and clothes were chosen in record time.

"Merde, merde!"

Lilith had dropped her breakfast - a piece of toast. Picking up and trashing her entire meal, she grabbed her keys on the counter.

"No time! No time!"

Lilith ran out of her apartment. Her dress was probably the wrong way round, and she had forgotten to brush her hair.

She arrived at the train station, a few minutes to spare.

Had she locked her door?


	2. Chapter 2

**Spencer**

As soon as everyone had taken a seat, Garcia started the presentation.

"Ok, so there has been three murders, all in a 100 mile radius of Washington.

The first one happened six days ago."

As she clicked on the remote control, gruesome images appeared on the screen.

"Diane Wilson." Rossi read out from the file.

"Yes. 42, unmarried, no kids. The next one happened three days ago."

New images. This time, a brown haired woman.

"This is Margaret Thomas, 29, unmarried, son of three."

JJ had a pained look on her face at the thought of the orphaned child.

"So he targets white women in their late twenties to early fourties?" SSA Derek Morgan asked.

"Well, this is where it gets complicated..."

Penelope clicked on the controller once again.

"This is Timothy Dunham. He is 61, killed yesterday."

"So you're telling me this unsub targets young white girls as well as elderly black men? And he travels miles and miles to kill specific targets? There must be a link between them..." Rossi muttered.

"Actually, no, except from the fact they lived a bit secluded from other people. We could only link them through notes the unsub left at the scene. They all seem to be extracts from the Bible."

"I can confirm it," Spencer said, looking over the evidence.

"All the houses and flats of the victims show signs of a dispute, and the bodies are heavily mutilated."

Hotch took a deep sigh.

"Prentiss, JJ, you will track the families of the victims and question them. Rossi, you will be with me. Morgan, Reid, you will head to the coroner's office."

"Reid, want a ride?" Morgan asked the young doctor.

"Actually, no. I forgot some stuff at my place. I'll take a train and join you at the coroner's directly."

Spencer flung his bag onto his shoulder and headed out of the building.

Reid let his gaze wander around the train. A mother, vainly attempting to quail her children. A businessman, typing as if his life depended on it. A musician, trying to make a living off his rustic guitar.

A girl, drawing in a leather notebook.

She tucked a piece of her short black hair behind her ear, and attempted to blow out her messy bangs out of her face by puffing her red cheeks. Her outfit was quite peculiar yet fitting: a sky blue dress, as well as combat boots. Wait... was her dress the wrong way round?

The girl lifted her gaze, and crossed Spencer's.

 **Lilith**

The man standing in front of her quickly looked away, as she had caught him staring. He was quite tall, and thin. Lanky. "Quirky" was the precise word that came to Lilith's mind when saw him. His curly fawn hair, his converse and tie, everything screamed "quirky". His face had turned red from embarrassment.

His awkwardness made her smile. In a way, she could relate.

" _Next stop, Mulligan station."_

Lilith put away her sketchbook and pencil, and got up to her feet.

As soon as the doors opened, she lost sight of the man.

"Hey, Ezra."

"Wow. You look dead inside, Lilith." The clinic's receptionist stated.

"That's because I am, matey." The girl said, shooting finger guns at her friend.

"Don't do that. Why am I even _talking_ to you _?_ Just get changed, the FBI is getting its ass here soon." Ezra signalled the back door.

Lilith sighed as she pushed the door. She traded her black cardigan for a heavy, white lab coat, made her way to the examination room and started preparing the body.

Soon enough, she heard her friend's familiar voice through the wall.

"Yes, we were expecting you. Over here please."

Footsteps in the corridor.

Ezra was at the door, two agents behind her.

"Well, Doctor, this is SSA Derek Morgan, and Doctor Reid. I'll go back to my work now." The receptionist left, leaving the two men with Lilith.

Lilith took out her hand and proceeded to shake Morgan's, before halting in front of the second agent.

Doctor Reid seemed just as confused as her.

"Well hello again, I guess?" She snickered, surprised.

She took out her hand, and the young man shook it, to SSA Derek Morgan's surprise.

"I'm going to look for the file, I'll be right back." Lilith said, as she left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Spencer**

"So what's the deal with her?"

"Excuse me?"

The young doctor was confused by Derek's question.

"You never shake hands with anyone."

"Oh. Well, she's a forensic pathologist. Their hands are as clean as they can get. And for your information, we crossed on the train this morning."

"Well that's boring. I was expecting her to be one of your _many_ one night stands." His friend joked, sarcastically.

Spencer only shook his head and laughed.

"As much as I'd love to hear about your sex lives, shall we talk about the file?" entered the room, grinning. Spencer turned bright red, while the special agent unconvincingly stifled a laugh.

"Y-yes, of course." He tried to recover from his embarrassment. One day, he was going to kill Derek Morgan. But that day wasn't today, because Morgan had more muscle in his thumb than in Spencer's entire body. And also Derek was his friend.

The medical examiner, seeing him in this state, simply patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, it's just a joke." She gave him a small smile and continued, "Well, here you have the body of Diane Wilson, Margaret Thomas and Timothy Dunham."

"Are there any differences concerning the wounds of each body?"

"Well, it varies, but essentially, the m.o stays the same - they're shot, then stabbed. Some stab wounds are deep, others less and shakier."

Spencer seemed confused.

"That doesn't make any sense... if he is a psychopath, wouldn't he want to torture his victim in front of him? Why would he kill them fast, and then stab them? That removes all the fun part from the equation for him..."

"Why do you keep saying him?" The young woman asked, making Reid and Morgan's gazes turn to her.

 **Lilith**

The young medical examiner was confused, and the agents seemed surprised by her sudden intervention.

"What do you mean? The team has already profiled the unsub, and he appears to be a man." Dr. Reid said.

"Yes, I know. But what indicates that this is the work of a single perpetrator?" She asked.

Spencer looked at her for an instant, before realising what she'd said. They both knew what she was implying.

"Do you mean that..." he trailed off.

"Seems likely to me." She answered.

"Could you show us...?"

"Of course, follow me."

Derek was left puzzled by their telepathic exchange.

"This is Margaret Thomas. She shows three different types of wounds; gunshot to the head, killing her instantly, then multiple stab wounds, divided into two categories. The first are violent but not very deep, and the others are more hesitant, but not as shallow."

Lilith indicated the different injuries on the corpse.

"Diane Wilson and Timothy Dunham show a little less variety." SSA Derek Morgan stated.

"Indeed." She agreed.

"So...are you insinuating that we're facing a group of three male unsubs?" Reid said, hesitant.

"No, not exactly." Dr Park looked at the young doctor, hoping for him to reach to his own conclusion.

"A woman." His eyes widened as he spoke the words.

Lilith nodded.

"Everything indicates the presence of a group, including a woman."

"Usually women are not the most common to use weapons to kill..." Morgan said, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Suggesting that she could possibly be psychotic."

Lilith carefully listened, and agreed.

"Yes, and she would be the more uncontrolled yet shallow wounds, as she wouldn't present the same force as a man."

"The gunshot wound could be the leader, and he'd give the signal for his other two accomplices when he'd be done so they could have fun with the corpses by brutalising them. At least in their sick view of fun." Morgan continued, disgusted.

"Yes, but I have a feeling that the third person was forced... his stab wounds seem too shaky to be completely voluntarily..." Spencer said,

"And yet we still dont have anything that links them together..."

"We should head back to the BAU." SSA Derek Morgan stated.

Spencer nodded, and they left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Spencer**

"It's impossible to find anything on them... it's as if they were untraceable."

The team was sat around their usual table, discussing their discoveries.

"Is it possible they were under witness protection?"

"No, nothing indicates it." JJ answered.

"They could have changed their names." Rossi suggested.

"Yes, Garcia's currently digging to find more information."

Aaron Hotchner turned to the other pair of agents.

"So, Morgan, Reid, what did you guys find at the M.E's?"

"Something quite important. Our unsub appears to actually be unsubs. Two men and a woman, presumably." Spencer rushed to say the words.

"A group?" Hotch asked. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and nodded.

"That would make sense." He agreed with the pair of agents.

"We should probably start providing a profile for each of these unsubs."

"Well, there's definitely a leader, which is our first man. He'd be the more sociopathic, manipulating one of the bunch." Spencer started.

Prentiss followed closely, "Then, the woman would represent the wilder, more agressive side among them. She is probably psychotic, and has been off her treatment for some time, that is if she's had any."

"And finally, we have our third man. Reid and I see him as the more reserved side of the group. It looks like he was forced by the other two in their killings."

As the meeting came to an end, Hotch told the rest of the team to get back to their place. It was getting late, they had no clues and there was no use in having exhausted profilers work the case.

 **Lilith**

Her eyes were slowly closing, but she forced herself to stay awake.

Missing her train stop would be unfortunate, as the means of transportation were weeding out at this time of the night.

The train halted, and the doors opened. Most people stepped down the vehicle, although she caught someone in the corner of her eye trying to get in.

As soon as he saw her, he gave her a weak wave, probably too shy to initiate a conversation. Lilith decided to take the matters into her own hands and walked up to the young doctor.

"And so, we meet again." She grinned at him, as he gave her a timid smile.

"Indeed."

"Did you guys work the case?" She asked immediately, curious.

"Yeah, but we don't have too many leads for the moment." He paused, and added, "Thank you by the way. Your help was crucial."

Lilith felt her smile grow bigger, flattered.

"Just a question, if it's not too impolite...but how old are you?" He asked, his voice low.

"I'm 24."

"Oh, okay. I thought you looked a bit young to be a forensic pathologist."

The girl tucked a strand of her charcoal hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I started university quite young. But not as young as you, I presume. After all, you needed time to complete your PhD. What are you, 30?"

"I'm 29 actually, but good guess. I started university at 12 and have 3 PhD's." He paused before asking, "How did you know I had a doctorate? I could have been a medical doctor for all you knew."

"A doctor wouldn't have asked as many questions as you did in the operating room." She gave him a devilish smirk.

Spencer pretended to be offended. "I would like to inform you that I have enough knowledge to be a medical doctor. I simply chose not to as it didn't bring anything to my career." He gave her an equally cunning smile.

 _"Right._ And I have enough knowledge to have PhD's in Maths, physics and engineering, and yet I chose not to." Lilith laughed and walked toward the open doors of the train. She gave him a last glance, knowing it might be the last time she saw him.

"My stop. Goodbye, Doc."

She stepped onto the platform, leaving an astonished Spencer Reid behind the doors.

 _How the hell did she know about his PhD's?_

Spencer

Spencer was walking in circles in his crammed living room, the clock ticking away. His mind was going in all sorts of places, as if tripping over nothing. Lost. None of his theories made sense, and he was starting to go crazy.

Something.

There must be something, something that linked the victims together, no matter how seemingly insignificant. And yet the genius could not exactly tell what. Completely defeated, he looked around his room, as if searching for help. Nothing but his green walls, covered in bookshelves. He felt helpless.

The young doctor passed his hand through his already messy hair and sighed, as he pulled out a few fawn coloured strands. Morgan was right, Spencer had been too anxious lately.

As he stared into his palm, his eyes widened. He finally knew.

Spencer glanced at his clock.

Lilith

2:47 AM.

Who was ringing her doorbell so early?

The young woman threw the covers off the bed, a little annoyed. For once Lilith's insomnia was kind to her, and somehow she was still strayed away from sleep.

As she started dressing, she realised that it was , her neighbour. This had happened a couple of times before. She was an old lady, and sometimes disoriented, losing track of time and place, and rung her neighbours' door thinking it was her own. Having her see Lilith in her pyjamas was the least of her worries.

What the young girl usually did was direct the old woman back to her apartment, assure her that Whiskers, who had died years ago, had enough food and tuck her into her bed.

Lilith quickly went to her door, worried something might happen to the elderly woman if she made her wait too long.

She placed her palm on the handle, and pulled.

"Mrs Moriar-"

She froze.


	5. Chapter 5

**Spencer**

"What the _hell_ , Dr Reid!"

The young man was standing at her door, and she was hoping he had a good reason. "Why are you here? It's nearly three in the morning!"

"I'm sorry Miss Park...this is urgent. It's about the case."

She sighed, and let him enter her apartment.

He followed her in, and found himself gazing at her bare legs. Dr Park hadn't expected him at the door, otherwise she wouldn't have been dressed so lightly. Spencer was blushing a bit, embarrassed. He wasn't used to these situations. She turned around, and she too, seemed flustered.

"Wait a second."

The girl went into her room and came back, wearing a blue kimono. Spencer internally approved - Japanese culture had always fascinated him.

"So. Tell me the reason of your visit." She signalled him a chair, in front of her kitchen counter. He sat, as she took place on the other side and started boiling water.

"Well, it's complicated-"

"Coffee or Tea?" She asked, holding up two boxes.

"What?"

"Choose." She gave him a mysterious smile, as she placed them in front of him.

Spencer hesitantly picked up the coffee box.

"Wrong choice!" She smiled and shook her head. "It was a trick question. You always take tea."

Spencer seemed confused. "I'm sorry, I-"

The young girl laughed. "Seriously though, you can pick anything you like."

"Then I'll try tea." He was surprised at how much he was smiling around her.

"Good." She gave him an approving look, and got back to brewing the leaves. "Sorry if I interrupted you, please tell me."

"Well..." He paused and hesitated, but kept talking. "It might seem a bit far-fetched, but I need you to believe me and be on my side."

She slid a hot mug of the drink in front of him.

"Okay." She was intrigued. Maybe his ways had convinced her, even only after a day.

He left a pause, before asking,

"For how long do you have the corpses at your office?"

Although she was surprised by his question, the girl answered.

"Well, we have to give the bodies of the first two victims to the morgue tomorrow afternoon. So, technically, today. They haven't been claimed yet so they'll be branded as unknown."

"Okay, I need you to be on board with this." He said, anxiously.

She slowly nodded, curious.

"If it's nothing illegal or unethical, I'm in."

"You'll be glad to hear it's neither." He paused. "Do you have the keys to the coroner's office?"

"Yeah, all the medical examiners do. Why?"

"I need to check something on the victims."

Lilith considered what he'd said, before muttering to herself,

"Jordan won't like this..."

"Jordan? Who's Jordan?"

"My colleague. He's the one who worked the case for the three bodies, but he left on a honeymoon as soon as he was done with the last corpse. That's why I was the one who presented the file to you guys. I'm new in the office, so they give me the boring stuff."

She said, plainly.

"And why won't he like it?"

"Well, me, a _novice_ , going over _his_ case for errors isn't quite... flattering."

"For a novice, you're great at what you do." The doctor said, earnestly.

She smiled, happy that she was at least able to help someone.

 **Spencer**

Reid sipped on his tea, thoughtfully, trying to find a solution to the Jordan problem. As he brought the cup to his lips, he was pleasantly surprised.

"Tea usually isn't really my thing, but wow, I'm impressed." He said. The look on his face was enough to tell he was blown away.

She was pleased by his expression, and grinned as she grabbed her keys and a coat.

"I know, but my tea isn't any tea. It's special." She paused, before adding, "We're leaving by the way, take your stuff."

Spencer followed her across the living room.

"Could you tell me what tea you used?"

She unlocked her door, and they stepped out of her apartment.

Turning herself to face him, she smiled ambiguously.

"It's a secret."


	6. Chapter 6

**Spencer**

As she unlocked the door, he followed her in.

The place, although home to corpses, had a comforting, clean smell. Everything was so silent, and the walls were so white. Just the kind of environment the young doctor liked.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Miss Park signalling for him to approach the door.

"In here." She whispered, as if she might bother the corpses.

They were now standing in the operation room.

"Okay, so now what?" She asked.

"Bring out the bodies, please."

 **Lilith**

The girl observed the young man as he carefully inspected the corpses. She was impressed that he barely flinched when he came in contact with them, but she remembered that he was an FBI agent after all. He didn't touch the corpses, as she had asked, not like other reckless police agents.

"Um... Doctor Park?"

The young girl walked over to the man.

"What's wrong?"

"Could you please look through the hair of the victims? I don't have gloves on."

As soon as he had asked, Lilith realised why Dr Reid had requested this. That was the one place where they didn't look through.

She immediately paced toward the first corpse, and executed herself. As she combed through the hair with her gloved fingers, she saw it. A tiny gasp left her.

The man looked over her shoulder to see what she had uncovered.

"A tattoo." He said.

The doctor didn't seem surprised, as if he had expected it. The pair moved onto the body of the second corpse, and then the third. All three had a tattoo, right on their scalp, hidden underneath their hair. Doctor Reid gave a small victory smile.

"Finally, something." He seemed relieved. It was at that moment that Lilith saw the bags under his eyes, and she realised he probably hadn't slept. She admired the passion he had for his work, and how thorough he was. The girl turned her back to him, and faced the corpse before saying,

"It looks like Jordan skipped a step."

"I'm not surprised. He was probably so focused on the gunshot wound he didn't think there would be something else on the head. I can't quite tell what the tattoo represents, though."

"I think it's a dove..." the girl said, squinting.

"You're right. It would make sense, considering the religious connotations of the crime scene, with the Bible extract." He muttered, almost to himself.

"There was a bible extract on the scene?"

"Yeah...handwritten, different in each case." The doctor said, as he mentally scowled himself for disclosing details of the case.

"Well, have you tried analysing the handwriting? Or have you tried to read the extract and link it with each body? It might give clues on what they did to get killed."

"You could really work for the BAU, you know." Doctor Reid said, baffled.

She turned around to smirk at him, forgetting that he was just behind her. Suddenly, there was practically no space between them. The proximity made her pink cheeks go red, as she extracted herself from where she was stuck, between him and the operation table.

He seemed just as flustered as her, averting her gaze.

"We should get going." She said, flinging her bag on her shoulder.

"Yeah."


	7. Chapter 7

**Spencer**

"Merde."

She said, as she saw the train timetables. The last one to her place had left an hour before, and walking to her place at this time of the night would be too long and dangerous.

Spencer, standing next to her, looked thoughtful.

"Maybe you can stay at my place."

He realised what his proposition sounded like, and he quickly added,

"I have a couch, you can sleep on there. Or I could sleep on the couch and you can take my bed."

He hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way. The years he spent at the BAU rendered him paranoid, and he couldn't have a case that he could have prevented. She had helped him so much.

Thankfully, she replied,

"Yeah, I'll take the couch. It's late, and I need to get sleep for tomorrow. We should get walking."

 **Lilith**

As they took a street corner, Lilith initiated conversation.

"How did you know where I lived, anyways?"

"Simple." The doctor said, "I remembered the train station you left from, which gave me a radius of one and a half kilometre. I also deduced that since you seemed young, a house or any other property didn't seem likely. That left me with about twelve buildings that still had their "to let" sign. You've never been on my train before, so I assumed that you had just moved here, and were renting an apartment."

"You went to twelve different buildings to find me?"

"Well actually, using a few more clues and my instincts, I cut it down to a selection of three buildings."

"So you...geoprofiled me?"

"Well, not exactly, I mean, the notion of geoprofiling is complicated..." the young man tripped over his words.

"You know you could have found my phone number by typing my name on Google, right?" Lilith laughed.

An shiver went down his spine, as a look of disgust crossed his face at the mention of internet.

"Oh, I get it." She giggled.

In an attempt to change the subject, the man asked,

"And you? How did you know about my PhD's ? I don't recall mentioning them."

"Oh." She grinned. "You might not remember, but a few years ago, you were a guest lecturer at my university. Criminology, I think."

"I do remember. And yes, it was criminology. Lilith Park. Second row, twelfth seat from my left, brilliant student. I didn't think it was worth mentioning since I thought you didn't remember it."

Lilith was startled, and a silence lingered between them.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I scared you. I have an eidetic memory, so I rarely forget things. Especially if they stand out more than others." He said, as he gave her a shy smile.

The young girl was touched. Even though he had an eidetic memory, the very fact that he remembered her amongst the sea of faces was meaningful to her. She never thought she could stand out in a crowd.

"Thank you." Lilith said, as the doctor halted in front of an old, yet charming building.

"This is my place."

 _How fitting_ , she thought.

The pair went up the stairs, and entered his apartment.

"I'll sleep on the couch. I'm the one who woke you up after all."

"No, no, I'm the guest here."

"You have insomnia, right? So take my bed."

Lilith paused, defeated, and accepted his proposition by nodding her head.

"Wait a minute." He told her, as he left to another room.

She took a seat on his sofa, and observed her surroundings. The whole flat was packed with books, and yet so cosy. It reminded her of her parents' house, back in France. All the diplomas covering the walls, and the small artefacts scattered around the living room. She stood up, and paced toward the bookshelves. Lilith was in awe. The eclecticism of his library was baffling; books were in all languages, on any kind of subject. His collection made her jaw drop.

She was so focused, she hadn't seen Doctor Reid appear behind her.

"Do you like books?"

She jumped, and turned around.

"Y-yeah. Your collection is just...impressive. Russian, huh? I've rarely met people who've tried to make any effort to read in the original language. It removes part of its charm, I guess. When Russian books are translated, they lose all their meaning."

"So you speak Russian?" He asked, hopeful.

"I do."

The young doctor seemed overjoyed to have met another polyglot.

"What other languages do you speak?" He asked, eagerly.

"Well, Japanese, Korean, French, and obviously English. I'm currently studying Esperanto."

"I've always wanted to learn french." The man said, a gleam in his eyes.

"It's a beautiful language. I advise you to read some Jean-Paul Sartre or poems by Paul Éluard."

"Noted." He smiled, and peered at his watch. "Well, if it wasn't so late, I'd probably guide you around my library and give you complete summaries of each of my favorites."

Lilith was sad at the missed opportunity of discussing about books, but she recognised her need for sleep.

"I set up my room, come with me."

He guided her through the corridor, and opened the door to an impeccable room.

"Well, you can make yourself at home."

"Thank you so much."

"Oh well, it's no worries really. I'm the one who dragged you into this."

"No, I mean- for everything. This was fun. I haven't had such a good time in a while. Thank you."

The doctor seemed at a lack for words.

"Oh, no problem." They smiled at each other. "Well, good night Doctor Park."

As he was about to leave the room, Lilith said,

"Doctor Reid?"

He turned around.

"Yeah?"

She grinned, as she added,

"You can call me Lilith. Goodnight, Doc."


	8. Chapter 8

**Lilith**

The girl opened her eyes as she was woken up by the smell of eggs and bacon.

"Smells nice." She chuckled, creeping up behind Doctor Reid. He jumped and turned around, before stammering,

"Oh, y-yeah. Sorry if I woke you up."

"No worries. Is the breakfast for me too or are you kicking me out?"

"Well, I did cook for two. I didn't bother preparing coffee for you, though."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

She took a seat behind the counter, waiting for the food. As she devoured the plate Reid had given her, she asked,

"So, how did you sleep?"

He turned around to face her, before replying,

"Pretty well. My couch is more comfortable than one may think."

Lilith realised he was lying. The bags under his eyes had worsened, and his hair was messy. She suddenly felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Doc. You gave up on sleep because of me."

The girl looked down, both sad but also touched that he was so kind to her.

The man bent down to look at her.

"Hey, it's okay."

As he moved his hand across the table to pat her shoulder, he knocked over his cup of coffee, spilling over the table, and beyond.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He kept repeating.

Her shirt was soaked, a light brown stain adorning it.

"It's fine, really." Lilith was surprised, rather than angry. The shirt didn't have much value to her but the chain of events startled the girl.

"I-I can clean it if you want!" Reid was profoundly mortified, and constantly tripped over his words.

"Don't worry about it. I would really appreciate it if you could lend me a shirt for the day, though." Lilith chuckled. To her this was more of a funny situation than anything else.

"Of course! Just a second!"

He disappeared into a corridor, and came back holding an ivory shirt with buttons at the front.

 _That is so like him_ , she thought.

"Thank you, I'll try and give it back as soon as I can."

"Sure!" He said, quickly.

After slipping into the new clothing, Lilith glanced at her thin silver watch.

"I should go, it's soon time for work and I don't really want to miss the train."

"I can go with you." He paused, before adding, "That's only if you want me to, of course."

Looking into his eyes, she replied,

"I want you to."

The two chatted on the train platform, as they waited. Lilith loved his company, and she was a bit sad that their fun little adventure was over.

As she looked over the doctor's shoulder, she saw lights in the distance.

"My train is here."

The two looked briefly at each other, and they smiled.

"Thank you." They said, together. They shared a laugh, before the doors of the vehicle opened.

She stepped onto the train, and looked at Reid, standing on the platform.

"Goodbye, Doc."

"Is that...a man's shirt you're wearing?"

Ezra shrieked, nearly falling out of her desk seat. "My, my, Lilith. I never saw you as that kinda gal, but I like it!"

Lilith laughed, as she shook her head.

"Oh. You're are far, far off. I couldn't have been further away from a one night stand."

She looked away and said, almost to herself,

"It's a funny story, though..."

 **Spencer**

"Spencer?" Morgan looked at his colleague, worried. The bags under his eyes could fit a fist in them.

"Yeah. I guess I had a bit too much fun last night."

"With a girl?" His friend asked teasingly, as he gave him a wink. He liked to bother Spencer over girls, and his absence of experience with them.

"Yeah." He answered as he walked away, too tired to process what his words sounded like.

"E-excuse me, what?!" Derek asked, completely astonished. He ran after his Pretty Boy, in search for answers.

"You can't leave after saying that! I need details, context!" The agent exclaimed.

Spencer walked into the briefing room, sipping his coffee and ignoring the protests of his friend.

"If I tell you, you'll bother me about it."

Was his sole answer. Derek decided to shut his mouth, as Aaron Hotchner had just walked into the room.

"Okay, so we're back on the case, hope you all had a good night's sleep."

Morgan threw a devilish smirk into Spencer's direction.

"Yes, before we start anything, boss, I just wanted to say something." The youngest agent said.

"Go ahead."

Spencer stood up, and took out a couple of files from his hands.

"Last night, accompanied by Doctor Park, I went back to the morgue."

He shot a look at Derek to make him understand that he hadn't been up to sexy affairs during the night.

Morgan's face showed disappointment, as he finally thought his friend was moving on in his life.

"And what did you discover?" Aaron asked, stern.

"Well, this." The doctor extracted a few pictures from the files in his hands, and passed them around.

"A...tattoo? I don't understand." JJ asked, lost.

"This is our link. The one thing that ties all of our victims together."

The team looked over the pictures, startled, as they realised that all the victims adorned the same emblem.

"A bird?" Rossi questioned.

"A white dove, to be exact. The dove is actually a symbol of peace, love, or the one of a messenger in different religions, such as Christianism or Judaism. It is oft-"

"You're rambling." Prentiss interrupted.

"Sorry. My point is, there might be a chance these murders could be linked with religion."

Hotch nodded, carefully taking in Spencer's words. As the doctor saw that he had caught his team's attention, he continued.

"This wasn't my idea, but the notes are handwritten, right? We should make them go through writing analysis and focus on what they are saying more than anything."

The team agreed.

"Good work today, Reid. Now go, and get some actual rest." Hotch said, and the doctor could have sworn to seeing the ghost of a smile. Ever since the death of his wife, his few smiles had become even rarer.

"Thank you, boss."

As soon as Hotch walked out of the room, Spencer heard a female voice behind him.

"Hey, um, Spencer?" Garcia asked.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't wanna tell you this in front of the boss, but a _really_ pretty girl left this shirt at the entrance earlier, saying it was yours. Who was that?"

"No one, really." He said, grabbing the piece of clothing from the technical analyst's hands.

"Hey. No, no. You don't leave a queen without answers. Hey Reid! Come back!"

The doctor was walking toward the door, and when he reached it, he turned around.

"I guess I have to, just once." And gave the woman a smirk.

He knew that if he told Garcia about Lilith, she'd over react.

Spencer looked at the shirt, and saw a little note attached to it.

 _"Hey, Doc. I know I'm giving this shirt back really fast, but I hate not being able to tick things off my to do list. I wanted to thank you for making my boring life a little more interesting, and I hope you advanced in your case._

 _See ya soon,_

 _The one and only, Lilith Park."_

The doctor smiled as he saw the tiny handwriting of the only person that called him "Doc". "See ya soon". She wanted to be friends. Spencer realised a pleasant smell emanated from the shirt, as she had washed it. He brought to his face, and inhaled softly its scent.

Caramel and tea.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! Sorry for not uploading for a while, I actually mainly use wattpad to post my fanfic (it has the same name if you wanna look at it) :) Also, someone told me that I shouldn't use girl when referring to Lilith, so I'll try and use it less often :) (also if you're confused by Lilith talking in a foreign language she's french)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Spencer**

The doctor held his breath as he placed a foot into Lilith's workplace.

"How can I help you?" The lady behind the counter asked. Spencer assumed she was the receptionist.

"Is Lilith Park here? She left this at my house the other day, and I couldn't reach her since she never gave me her number." He said, showing her previously coffee stained shirt in his hands. The receptionist (Ezra Thompson, as her label read) seemed to recognise the shirt, and her eyes grew wide.

"A-Aren't you the agent from a few days ago?"

"Yeah, Doctor Reid."

"And why do you have that shirt?"

"I spilled coffee on it, so she changed shirts and forgot to pack this one." He said, simply.

"What was she doing at your place?"

"Lilith? She slept over." He replied nonchalantly.

"So, you're on a first name basis with Lilith..?" Ezra asked, with a malicious tone.

"I think so?" Spencer shrugged, not realising what conclusions the receptionist was jumping to. She looked impressed for an instant.

"Doc? What are you doing here?" Lilith had appeared in the corridor.

Ezra shot a playful look at her friend.

"Well, I should probably leave the two of you some privacy..."

Standing up from her chair and winking at the pair, she left the room.

"Oh God." Lilith laughed as she put her face in her palms. Although he was confused for a moment, Spencer was hit with realisation.

"Does she think we..?"

"I'm afraid to say that yes, she probably does."

They shared a laugh.

"Why did you come here, by the way?" Lilith seemed confused.

"I wanted to bring you this." He placed her light blue shirt in her hands.

"Thanks!" She smiled at the fact that he came to her work just to give her back her shirt.

Suddenly, a loud rumble was heard, emanating from Spencer's stomach.

"That kind of sounded like the Kraken. I'm impressed." She grinned.

"Yeah, I kind of skipped lunch today?"

Lilith looked at him, as if she was reflecting over something. She looked back at him, took on a fake serious voice, and said,

"I, secret Agent Park, will share with you some sealed information. If you happen to reveal this state secret..." She mimed a knife slitting her throat.

"Loud and clear m'am." Spencer imitated the military salute.

"Then follow me, padawan."

He walked alongside her out of the office, before asking,

"So where are we going exactly, Lilith? It felt weird for him to use her name for the first time.

"The best noodle restaurant in America."

 **Lilith**

As they took seats in the lively place, Lilith glanced at Spencer. Although he seemed happy, there seemed to be something bothering him. After a few moments, she understood.

"You're a germaphobe?"

Reid looked at her, then back at the table.

"I mean, it's not that big of a deal."

"Of course it is, and I understand. Some restaurants aren't very good in terms of hygiene. But I can tell you that while I was a doctor in a hospital, I made hygiene checks at different places. This restaurant is one of the best in terms of cleanliness, that's why I keep eating here."

At her words, Spencer seemed to relax. He never really had anyone care about his germaphobia.

"What do you recommend for me to eat?" Reid asked, still hesitant.

"Close your eyes, and say a random number."

"1729." Spencer said almost immediately.

"Interesting. The smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of two cubes in two different ways." She replied.

The young man opened his eyes and looked at her, baffled.

"Unfortunately, you'll have to pick a more boring number, between 0 and 38."

"Twenty three, then."

"Good choice." She smirked, and looked at the menu to find the corresponding meal, and said, "Well, Doc, looks like you're getting good ol' beef ramen. I'll have the same, in sign of solidarity."

"Sounds good."


	10. Chapter 10

**Spencer**

Lilith was crying of laughter as she saw the doctor struggling with his chopsticks. She wiped away a tear, and asked,

"Do you not know how to use them?"

"Don't judge me! I have an IQ of 187 and I still have no clue how to work with these things." He pouted, repressing a laugh.

Lilith softly chuckled.

"I'm not judging you, everybody needs to learn. Look, hold them like this..."

She placed a chopstick between her index and her thumb, and the other one between her thumb and her middle finger.

"So, you use this finger to action the chop- no, not like that..."

The young woman chuckled at Spencer's struggle, and approached him in the booth, so that she was next to him.

"Look..."

Lilith looked at him before touching his hand, as if she was waiting for his approval. He nodded, and she took his finger to place it at the right spot on the wooden stick.

Somehow, Spencer wasn't uncomfortable. He usually didn't appreciate coming in contact with other people, but there was something special about the softness of her touches or her patience. Lilith was never rough, and considerate about Spencer's repulsion to touch.

Seeing that he was a lost cause with chopsticks, he started saying,

"Chopsticks are usually wooden in countries of eastern Asia, such as Japan or China. One of the exceptions is South Korea, where the chopsticks are made of metal. This is actually more environmentally friendly, as around 1 billion disposable wooden chopsticks are thrashed every year in China alone."

"Are you trying to distract me from the fact that you can't use chopsticks?" Lilith grinned.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I tend to ramble when I'm nervous."

"I like it."

"What?"

"I like it when you ramble. What you say is interesting."

Spencer felt his face burn. Nobody usually appreciated it when he spouted facts. The girl probably sensed his nervousness, as she changed the subject.

"Why did you decide to become a profiler? You're quite smart, so you'd be an asset in any field of work."

"It's a weird story, actually..." he paused, and saw that she was listening attentively. "Well, when I was a kid, there was a murder of a little boy in my neighbourhood. I was around 3 or 4. That case was never closed, and I think that, subconsciously, I developed a strong sense of justice because of that. Maybe all I wanted was justice for Riley."

"Riley... so that was his name. And did he ever get any justice?" She asked.

"Yeah, a few years ago I went to Vegas and cracked the case with my team. It really helped get some weight off my shoulder. But after that, I still wanted to stay in the BAU, so maybe being a profiler really was my calling."

"I believe it was. You work so hard, and you're so focused... maybe that was your destiny."

Spencer considered this.

"And you? Why did you choose to become a medical examiner? It seems quite specific."

"My parents own a funeral home. When I was a kid, if I was good at school, they'd let me help with the bodies. I know, not very ethical. But there was always something bothering me. We were always given the corpses, and that was it. We were never told how or why they died, who or what killed them. We just prepared the corpse for the funeral and sent it away. I only knew their names. Ever since, I've always wanted to know the truth behind every name." She paused. "I'm sorry, it probably sounds stupid."

"No, it doesn't. You seem like a very curious person to me, and that's great." Spencer smiled at her.

"Are you profiling me?" She smirked.

"Maybe. I could actually give you a full profile of yourself, if you want me to."

"That sounds terrifying. Go ahead."

"Well, first of all, from appearance, you're probably a geek, like me. Star wars, Star trek, all that stuff. You are probably from South Korea, as you flinched when I mentioned South Korea in particular. You could also be Japanese, as you also had an interesting reaction when I gave out facts about it. I also hear a slight accent in your speech. Not American, no, European, yes. Perhaps Germany, or France? France, probably, since you speak French. You've lived in America all your life, so the influence is from your parents. If I had to make an educated guess, your father is French and your mother is Japanese, since statistically most Asian-Caucasian marriages happen between an Asian wife and a European husband.

"Wrong, my good sir. Some correct judgements, but your guesses are flawed." She smirked.

"Where did I go wrong?"

"Well, you assumed I'd fit into the statistics. My mother is French, and my dad is South-Korean and Japanese."

"Park. Of course. How could I not think of your family name?" He mentally scowled himself.

"Also, I've never seen Star Trek."

Spencer quickly turned his face, shocked.

"W-what? Impossible. We need to fix this."

They laughed together. Reid was surprised at his sudden use of "we".

"Now let me try and profile you."

Spencer stood still in the booth. "Okay."

"You can't sleep at night. You have migraines, and they constantly perturb you. That's why you sometimes wear glasses, even indoors and drink tons of coffee. You're originally from Vegas, you're good at card games and you only swear by statistics. Your father was absent very often, and you only found refuge in your books as well as taking care of your mother."

"How did you know about my father?"

She gave him a mysterious look.

"Just a feeling, I guess."

 **Lilith**

After some hours of talking and laughing, she asked,

"Spencer, I know that I shouldn't ask this, but it really has been killing me. Did you guys close the case?" She asked, practically whispering.

"No. We did a handwriting analysis of the notes, but we don't have any other clue on how to move on with the case."

"And what did the handwriting analysis tell you?"

"Well, that he is a man who loves power and control. He clearly thinks he is above us. It kind of feels like he sees himself as a God."

Lilith had her last mouthful of noodles, and said jokingly,

"Sounds like a cult leader to me."

Spencer's face lit up, as if hit with some realisation.

"Of course, a cult." He muttered, almost to himself. He stood up from his chair, took out a few bills to pay for the food, and threw his messenger bag onto his shoulder. "This was a lot of fun, Lilith, and I'd like to hang around, but I think my duty calls. I'm sorry."

"It's fine! Go, my valiant knight!"

They smiled, and he started to walk away as Lilith said,

"Wait, though. How will I be able to call you?"

"Open your fortune cookie."

She cracked open the biscuit, and inside was a tiny piece of paper. She unrolled it, and, in minuscule handwriting, were a few words.

"Did you seriously write your number in phonetic alphabet?" She laughed.

"Yup. Have fun decoding it!"

He smirked, turned around, and quickly walked out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Lilith**

Tired from another day of work, Lilith sighed as she stepped into her building. It had been a few days since Spencer was working full time on his case, so she didn't want to bother him.

She took out her key, and inserted it in the lock to her letter box. To her surprise, she found a tiny packet, resting at the centre. A note with scribbled handwriting was attached to it and it read,

 _"Lilith,_

 _Thank you for all your help on this case. I saw this while on my trip, it made me think of you. Hope you like it._

 _Spencer"_

A wide smile grew on her face as she saw the gift of the doctor.

 _2 weeks later_

 **Garcia**

The technical analyst nearly jumped as she heard the ringtone of her telephone. She picked up, her voice showing signs of anger.

"Whoever this is, you just interrupted a really good game of Kingdom of Knights! I hope this is good!"

"Hey, it's Ezra."

Penelope immediately warmed up to the woman on the other end.

"Oh my sweet baby Jesus! It's been such a long time! How are you?"

"I'm good, and you? I've really missed you. The reason why I'm calling is actually quite simple; I was thinking of throwing a party, and I really wanted you to be there. You can bring some friends if you like."

"That sounds fantabulous! I will drag my coworkers if I have to!"

The two women giggled.

 **Spencer**

Reid truly despised parties. The noise, the people, the smells. Everything made him uncomfortable. Parties were more a Garcia or Morgan thing. If it wasn't for her begging, he wouldn't have come. In fact, he was starting to regret his decision. As he pushed through the crowd to find a less crowded spot, in the corner of his eyes, he saw a dash of light blue. Had he hallucinated? He turned around. No one.

Spencer felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Lilith? What are you doing here?"

"I'm friends with Ezra, the girl who organised the party. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here with Garcia. Ezra's friend."

The young woman nodded, holding her red cup of beer in her hand.

"How are you liking the party?"

"It's fine." Spencer said, perhaps too quickly.

Lilith squinted at the doctor, and gave one of her signature smirks.

"Wanna get out of here?" She asked.

"Oh my God, yes, please."

The rooftop was a clear area, although the air was freezing. The two had a great picture of the city, as well as a stunning view on the night sky. Lilith laid down on the cold cement as Spencer followed her, lying down a couple of feet away from the now slightly tipsy forensic pathologist.

They were now taking sips from the bottle of vodka that Lilith had stolen from the party. Spencer pulled faces every time he tasted the alcohol.

"I've wanted to see this for a long time!" She giggled, her face all pink from the beer and champagne she'd had before.

"See what?"

"You, completely drunk."

He laughed, and took another swig.

"By the way, Spencer..."

He turned around, and looked into her dark eyes, lit by the moonlight.

"Yeah? What's wrong, Lilith?"

"I'm sorry. For not calling you ever since that case. I cracked the code, I just lost the piece of paper."

"Honestly, I could have called too, I was just scared. I'm used to people not calling me. I actually looked, and I haven't had a phone call with Morgan in nine months!"

Lilith laughed.

"Yeah, you should probably call him. Again, I apologise for being a mess, I feel so stupid for losing that paper. Unfortunately, I don't have an eidetic memory and I can't remember your number by heart..."

"Oh trust me, an eidetic memory, even if it's practical at times, is not the greatest gift. And no, you're not stupid."

In the darkness, the two smiled. Even if the floor on which they were lying down was cold, their laughs and the alcohol warmed them up. Spencer would show a constellation and attempt to explain the history behind it with his slurred words, and Lilith would just listen, sometimes giggling.

"Hey, Spencer?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we become friends?"

The doctor smiled.

"I thought we already were."

"I had so much fun again, Spencer. Thank you."

Reid had accompanied her to her flat, scared for her safety. Doctor Park seemed to struggle with her lock, and let out a few words in french that sounded quite unorthodox to Spencer.

"Ugh! Damned appartement. I'm looking forward to the day where I move out of here."

"Are you looking for a new flat?"

"Yeah, I mean, now that I have a steady income, there's no real need for me to stay in this neighbourhood."

The door clicked, and Lilith let out a sigh.

"Finally! Well, thank you for walking me home. It was really nice of you."

"I wasn't going to let you in the subway alone like this."

"Hey! Don't play smart, you're just as drunk as me!"

"Fair enough."

Their alcohol infused laughs could be heard in the whole building, but they didn't care.

"Also, Spencer?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the book, it's beautiful. I can't believe you actually got me a first edition of a Paul Éluard book. Nobody's ever done something like that for me."

"Well, more people should, Lilith. You're worth it."

She smiled.

"Thank you, doc."


	12. Chapter 12

**Spencer**

Rushing to get out of his apartment, a sign caught the doctor's eye.

"To Rent"

Despite the alcohol leaving Spencer's brain a little fuzzy, he remembered snippets from his conversation with Lilith from the night before.

 _"I can't wait to move out of this place."_

 _"You're looking for a new flat?"_

 _"Yeah..."_

The flat was only a floor underneath him. Spencer quickly thought, before taking out his phone and snapping a picture of the sign. He sent it to Lilith, hoping to help her in her quest to find an affordable flat in Washington.

Looking at his watch, he realised he was running late for work.

As soon as he got to the bureau, Aaron's familiar voice announced,

"Wheels up in thirty."

Sighing, Spencer grabbed his travelling bag and brewed himself a cup of coffee before going in the direction of the private jet.

The whole team boarded onto the engine, and as soon as the agents sat down, Reid's phone rang.

Spencer looked at the message.

 _From: Lilith_

 _Oh my sweet lord! Thank youuu! :D I called to see the apartment, I'm so excited! Also, remember when you talked about the fact that I needed to see Star Trek? Well, my visit of the flat is next Saturday, are you free?_

Spencer quickly typed back, enthusiastic.

 _That's great! :) by the way, about Star Trek, bring pop corn and a lot of blankets._

The doctor switched off his phone as the plane's engine started. A huge smile was drawn on his face, which caused the team to throw curious looks in his direction.

"That's really weird..." Morgan said, perplexed.

"Yeah... he's been smiling a lot recently. It's suspicious." Prentiss agreed.

"You know what? I think it's because of that party we went to last night. Remember? He left super drunk with a girl?" JJ suggested.

"Ooh- Spencer got some! Who's the girl?"

"I don't know, some Asian chick I think." Morgan said.

"She's South Korean, Japanese and French. And nothing is going on between me and Lilith. We're friends." Reid had tried to ignore his teammates, in vain.

"Lilith? As in Lilith Park, the medical examiner from last case?" Morgan teased the doctor. "Scandalous... I never thought you'd be the one to mix work and private life..." he smiled as he saw Spencer gradually losing patience.

"No, it's true. It just has happened, over the last few weeks, that Lilith and I have developed a friendship."

"Hmm..."

The team let Spencer off the hook, but exchanged some smirks, waiting for the rest of the story to unfold.

As soon as they arrived at their destination, the doctor's phone vibrated in his pocket.

 _From: Lilith_

 _Oki Doki! See you on Saturday, Doc :)_


	13. Chapter 13

**Spencer**

After another exhausting day on the job, the young agent crashed unto his couch and let out a sigh of relief.

Knock knock.

The doctor smiled. He jumped unto his feet, and quickly went to open the door for his friend.

"Hey, Lilith!"

The cheerful girl was wearing purple converse, as well as a large hoodie that enveloped her petite frame. She was holding in her arms a paper bag, and she kicked off her shoes in the corridor to reveal a pair of eccentric socks.

"I like them." Spencer said.

"What?"

"I like your socks."

Lilith looked down at her feet and laughed. She had chosen a pair with geese printed on them.

"Let me take this." The young man said, as he grasped the paper bag. He peered into it, and winced. All sorts of junk food were stuffed inside.

"Don't pull that face!" Lilith protested. "You're gonna thank me later, you'll see."

The doctor shrugged and left to the living room, the girl close behind. He placed the bag onto the kitchen counter, as she sat down on his sofa.

Spencer went behind the kitchen counter, and opened a drawer.

"Coffee, or Tea?" The doctor smirked, already knowing her answer.

"Well, tea, but I didn't think you'd have any..." Lilith frowned, remembering the agent's love for coffee.

"Actually, I do!" Spencer held a small green box in his hands. "I saw this at the airport while coming back, and thought I could get some for when you'd come." The doctor immediately regretted saying these words, as he realised how bold they sounded.

"That's really sweet of you." The girl smiled, genuinely touched.

Spencer was relieved, and started preparing their drinks.

"So, how did you like the apartment downstairs?"

"I loved it! It's a really good price, too. I just have to wait and see if they accept my candidacy."

"I'm sure they will, neighbour." Spencer smirked.

Soon enough, he joined her on the couch, two mugs in his hands. She grabbed one.

"So. How about we heat up some popcorn and start the series?" She suggested.

"What?! Wasn't he supposed to be dead?" Lilith was utterly confused at the ending of the Star Trek episode they'd been watching.

"Yeah, but if you think about it, was his death explicitly shown?" Spencer asked.

The girl considered this, pensive. She grabbed her tea and took a sip out of it. The mugs had piled up, and now the entire coffee table was covered in them.

"I'm going to be completely dead tomorrow." Lilith laughed.

"Well, it's not like you're doing anything, right? I mean, it's Sunday."

"Yeah. Talking about it, can I sleep over here? It's late, and I can't really go home. I'll take the couch."

"Okay." He smiled.

"Do friends often sleep at your place?"

"Well, not really. Henry or Jack, occasionally."

"Are they your colleagues?"

Spencer laughed.

"Not exactly, no. They're kids. Toddlers."

"Oh." She pursed her lips. "Really? No one sleeps at your place? Friends? Family? Boyfriends? Girlfriends?"

"Well, my friends don't really have time for sleepovers, they usually try and have the most time with their family. I've had a couple of girlfriends, that didn't really work out. As for boyfriends, well, I haven't really tried." Spencer said, nonchalantly.

"What about family?" She asked. "If you don't want to answer, it's fine."

"It's okay. My only family is my mom, she's in a Las Vegas center. She's schizophrenic."

Lilith looked at him. She took out her hand from under the blanket, and grabbed his.

"Everything will be okay, Doc."

He gave her a weak, but genuine smile. Even though he pretended to be fine, or nonchalant, Lilith knew. Up until now, it kind of felt like he'd break down at any moment. But somehow, her holding his hand made him feel better.

They kept talking through the night, drinking more tea and coffee, laughing and eating the slightly burnt popcorn.

She had now fallen asleep, her head gently resting on his shoulder. Spencer played with her hair, loving the softness of her black curls. He was grateful to have Lilith as a friend, and secretly hoped she'd move in the apartment downstairs. Yawning, he felt himself slowly closing his eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

**Lilith**

As the young girl slowly opened her eyes, she immediately noticed the absence of the doctor. He had placed a pillow under her head, and had taken his coat. As she shifted in her seat, she saw a little note scribbled in Spencer's usual messy handwriting.

 _Hey, I left to buy a few groceries. Help yourself to anything you want! :)_

 _Spencer_

Lilith giggled at the sight of the wobbly smiley face. She lifted herself up, deciding to make most of the day. Smelling her shirt, she realised wearing it three days in a row was stupidly desperate, and all in all not a good idea.

"He said help yourself, so might as well..." The girl muttered to herself.

She made her way to his bathroom, stripped, and slipped into his shower. Fiddling around with the knob, the girl struggled to find a comfortable temperature. A little too much to the left, and the water was icy. A little too much to the right, and it was as if the water might burn off her skin. After some time, the girl was satisfied with the warmth. She looked around, searching for some sort of shower gel. Lilith grabbed an ivory bar, and inspected it. His soap smelled good, a little fruity, too. Lemon. And...ginger? She smiled. It was so like him.

When she finished washing herself, Lilith wrapped herself in a towel she'd found under his sink. The towel was a greenish blue, and struggled to go around her entire body. She still managed to fold it, in a way that the fabric didn't budge and covered her private parts.

Someone rang the doorbell.

The girl turned around, surprised, and paced toward the door. It was probably Spencer, coming back from the shops.  
She opened the door.

"Hey! Spenc-" She immediately stopped in her tracks.

That was definitely not Spencer.

A group of a few people, consisting of three women and a man were standing in front of her. She recognised them from the party, a week before.

"Holy mother of God..." One of the two blondes had her mouth half opened, astonished.

Lilith looked down, remembering her attire, and what kind of ideas were running through their heads.

"It's really not what it looks like..."

"Wow, JJ. You were right. It really IS the asian chick." The man smirked.

 **Spencer**

The young man went up his stairs, a bag of groceries in his arms, blocking his view. As he arrived on his level, he saw Lilith standing at the door from the corner of his eye.

"Oh, Hey! I got us breakfa-"

He had not seen his colleagues, standing just outside his apartment.

Garcia, still in shock, asked,

"Care to explain what this girl is doing here..?"

"I- I know you're probably having some kind of preposterous theories right now, but it's nothing of the sort." Spencer felt his cheeks go red.

"Right, kiddo." Morgan ruffled his hair. "You'll need to kiss your girlfriend goodbye, because we have a case today. Pack your things."

"She's not my girlfriend." Spencer rumbled, as he pushed through his teammates to get into his apartment. "I'm gonna go get my stuff." He closed the door behind him, leaving his confused teammates on the other side.

"I'm so sorry, I- I wanted to take a shower, I had no clue they'd be the ones at the door." Lilith stammered, apologetic.

"Don't worry about it, it's not your fault. I'll clarify the situation with them." He gave her a wide smile, and added, "You smell really nice, by the way."

"Thanks...Um, I should probably pack up my stuff and get to my place, since you're leaving." Lilith said, as she gave him a small smile and walked away. Spencer couldn't help but give her a quick glance, her body still wrapped in his blue green towel.


	15. Chapter 15

**Spencer**

The doctor had been crammed in the backseat of Emily's car, stuck between the window and JJ. Derek turned around in his front seat and gave Spencer a smirk.

"So, feel like explaining?"

"It really wasn't like that." The young man replied, still flustered by the events.

"You shouldn't be ashamed Spencer. She is really cute. I still wonder how you managed to score that."

"I'm not dating Lilith!"

JJ gave a little whistle, impressed.

"Wow. Never thought you were the one-night stand kind of guy."

"No! You don't understand!"

The whole car laughed, as Spencer sighed with his face in his hands.

This case was going to be hell.

The team had boarded on the plane and taken off. They were now flying, an hour away from their headquarters at Quantico. Spencer remained silent as he felt his colleagues' stares on him. He could hear Derek, on the other side of the plane, speak in a low voice to Rossi. The older man let out a loud laugh.

"Hotch, come here, you won't believe this!"

Rossi whispered something into Hotch's ear, and the boss snickered at his words. "Really..? Wow." His face showed some disbelief.

Aaron turned to Spencer, who was pretending he wasn't paying attention.

"Congratulations Reid, for your girlfriend. You'll have to introduce her to us at our next get together."

The doctor let out a desperate sigh,

"For the last time, Lilith is not my girlfriend!"

"Oh, I see." His boss said. "So are you what kids nowadays call friends with benefits? I didn't think you'd be the type."

"Oh God..."

To Spencer's relief, they had descended and were preparing to land. As soon as the wheels hit the ground, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"You should probably check the message out, it might be from your girl." Derek teased with a smirk.

Spencer rolled his eyes, and read the text.

 **From: Lilith**

 _Guess what?! Wait, no, i'll tell you right now: I GOT THE FLAT! i'm moving in in two weeks, your help would totally be appreciated :)_

 _See ya soon!_

 _Ps: should i call you doc or neighbour now?_

Spencer smiled, as he quickly typed a reply. He finally had something to look forward to.

"Definitely his girlfriend..." Rossi muttered under his breath.

 **Lilith**

"Where should I put this?" The agent asked, holding a ridiculously large carton.

"Over there!" she pointed at a corner of the room. "Yep, there, perfect." The man put down the box. He paced toward the table where Lilith was sitting, and took a seat. Spencer grabbed the cinnamon tea she had prepared for him, and he took a few sips.

The two talked a bit about the case, to drift onto literature, medicine or even philosophy. She loved to hear him rant. Spencer was always so passionate, he could make anything interesting.

"Thanks for your help Spencer, seriously. I'm happy we're neighbours now, I might actually get to see you a little more between cases." She flashed him a big smile.

"I hope so too." He smiled back. "Well, shouldn't we unpack your stuff now? I can still help you."

"Oh no. No. I don't want you to profile me by you looking at my stuff. I refuse. I don't want to be analysed by you, Doc."

The doctor grinned.

"Alright then, no unpacking. Well, I should probably head back to my apartment."

"Yeah, maybe."

Spencer stood up from his chair and grabbed his bag. He paced toward the door, but stopped midway and turned around.

"H-Hey, Lilith. There's a new episode of Doctor Who tonight, you know."

She smiled, and looked at him.

"Of course. I'll bring the popcorn."


	16. Chapter 16

**Spencer**

The doctor went down the stairs, and walked up to Lilith's door. He hesitated for a few seconds, before ringing the bell.

The two friends had been hanging out for a while now. Spencer would invite her over whenever he wasn't on a case, and they'd talk about books or watch some movies while eating take-out. As he stood there, he realised that in the two months where she was his neighbour, he had never actually seen the inside of her apartment.

The medical examiner opened the door. "Hey, Spencer! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Hey, Lilith. Garcia is having a party tonight, at Romney's bar, and we can bring a plus one. Since we're like, friends and all, I was wondering if you, um..." The doctor stumbled upon his words.

"I'd love to come." She smiled sweetly.

"Ok. Alright. Cool." He said quickly. "It's at 7pm, by the way."

"I'll be there."

Spencer waved goodbye, and she closed the door with a "See ya!". As he walked back up the stairs, he realised that Lilith was acting a little strange, and wondered what could have happened.

"Hey, you look nice." Spencer said as he met the girl in front of the bar. She was wearing a purple dress under her black coat, a colour he hadn't seen her wear before.

"Thanks, you too. I like the bowtie." She smiled as she pointed at his neck.

"T-thanks." It was a little cold outside, so he rubbed his hands as she buried her face in her huge scarf. "So, should we get going?" The doctor asked. Lilith nodded, and they walked through the door.

"Oh my! I'm so glad you could make it, Spence. And look, you even brought your friend!" She smirked at the young agent as she took him into an embrace. Spencer was a little awkward, but he returned his friend's hug. Penelope let go of him, and gave another warm hug to Lilith.

"It's nice to see you again!" Lilith said, as she returned the embrace.

"Oh my god, you too! You look SO pretty! No wonder Spenc-"

"Okay, Garcia, that's enough."

"Jeez, alright... Come here, the both of you."

The two were dragged inside by Penelope, and were soon greeted by the rest of Spencer's team.

"Hi Spencer, hi Lilith!" A black haired woman said, a smile on her face.

"Hi, Emily. Where should I put this?" The young doctor asked, holding up his coat.

"Oh, there are coat hangers in that corridor there." She replied.

Spencer nodded, and left the two girls.

"So, how long have you guys known each other?"

"I'd say three or four months?"

"Wow, you've won him over pretty quickly..."

Lilith chuckled.

"Erm, I think you're mistaken. Spencer and I aren't dating."

A silence fell.

"What?!" Garcia exclaimed. "So he wasn't saying that so we'd let him off the hook?"

The girl nodded.

"Why were you in a towel at his place, then?" Derek followed.

"We had a Star Trek marathon, and it was too late for me to go back at my place, so he let me stay."

"That is so anticlimactic. Typical Spencer." Prentiss sighed.

"Ahem, guys. I can hear you, you know." Spencer said, as he was back at the table.

The team chuckled, and Lilith joined in. Spencer's grumpy expression changed into a smile.

"So, Lilith. Tell us a bit about you." Rossi said, pouring and handing her over a glass of wine.

***  
A few hours later, the team had split up between two groups: the girls and the guys.

On one side of the room, the men talked as they sipped on their beers. Apple juice, for Spencer.

"I like her. She's a nice girl." Rossi said, looking over at the doctor's friend.

"Yeah, she's special..." Spencer answered, thoughtful and a little worried for her. He realised she was pouring herself a bit too much alcohol, and her words were becoming increasingly slurred.

Lilith rose from her seat.

"I'm gonna go to the toilet!" She announced to the girls.

"I'll follow you, I need to go too." JJ sat up and made her way to the bathroom with Lilith.

As the door closed, JJ said,

"I'm glad Spencer found you. He's gone through a lot, but it feels like he's become happier since you guys became friends."

"I should probably the one thanking Spencer. He's just such a good person, I feel so happy around him." She smiled. "You know, he sends me gifts every time he's out of the state on a case. I got this, from when you guys were in Georgia!" She said, holding up a dragonfly keychain, a huge smile on her face.

"That's adorable. I haven't seen him act this way since Maeve." JJ gave a sad smile.

"Who's Maeve?" Lilith asked.

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you, really..." JJ regretted having let the name slip.

"Oh, that's alright."

"But seriously, thank you for everything you've done for Spencer."

The girl smiled at the blonde woman, before feeling a sharp pain.

"Oh fu-" Lilith brought her hand to her forehead.

"A-Are you okay?" Jennifer asked, worried.

"Yeah, yeah... it's just, I'm not feeling...super well... I feel dizzy..." Lilith sat down on the bathroom tiles, the throbbing pain amplifying.

"Wait, I'll call the guys..."

The team rushed to the bathroom as soon as they heard the news.

"Lilith? Are you okay?" Spencer asked, panicked. He crouched to be on eye level with her. She shook her head.

"Could somebody drive her back to her place?" The doctor asked, turning to the team.

"Yeah, I c-" Aaron started.

"NO! No car. Please, no car." Lilith protested, almost shouting.

"O-okay, Lilith." Spencer said, confused. "I'll take the subway with you, then."

"Yes, please."

The doctor fumbled with the girl's keys, as he tried to open her door. After trying a couple of them, the door finally clicked, and he walked inside the flat.

The flat was a bit like what he'd expected it to be. A nice smell floating around, pastel blue walls, warm rugs, an abundance of house plants and pictures hung up.

Lilith was drunk. Very drunk. She held onto Spencer's shoulder, half awake. He brought her into her room, and placed her under the covers. The girl was fast asleep, crushed by exhaustion. Spencer smiled, as he saw her peaceful sleeping expression. His gaze wandered around, and fell onto her bedside table. A small picture frames, with three smiling figures. Three girls, two of which he recognised: one was Lilith, the other was Ezra, the clinic's receptionist. The third one, however, was unknown to him.

That night, Spencer fell asleep, a million questions running through his head.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey! Author here. I read some of the reviews, and I wanted to answer some questions.**

 **Why is Lilith a forensic pathologist at such a young age? - She started college at 15. I calculated what I thought at the time was a plausible age, considering she's fresh out of college where she took accelerated courses. My father is a doctor, he explained to me very theoretically how you could possibly graduate at such a young age. Oxford, for example, proposes a four-year accelerated medicine course. However, it is true that I should have added her a couple of years, to show experience and make it more credible, and that this kind of scenario is quite implausible. I have thought about it, and I did indeed make a mistake. However, I didn't want her to be a clone of Reid, by making her enter college aged 12 or 13 like him, and making them the same exact age. I'm considering changing her age of entering college to 14. It's true that I wrote the story at first without really thinking through the ages, and I apologize. I understand that this fanfiction is not a great piece of art, it's just something that I like to write as a hobby and that some people like too :P**

 **Why did you refer to Lilith as a young girl? - Because English is not my first language. French is, and in french you can say "jeune fille" to refer to a woman in her twenties (when someone older is talking). When translated literally, it's "young girl". I was not aware that was referring to a child, so I kept on using it. I changed it to "young woman" when someone told me (very kindly) about it. I just wished that the other people who have told me about were not a bit rude and condescending. I wished you'd have tried to explain to me nicely. Whoever you are, sorry if I offended you.**

 **How can Lilith be so smart and yet be so clumsy? - That's just how she is :) I guess you have to balance a highly active brain with some "quirkiness". Some of my friends, who are so much more intelligent than I'll ever be, have phases where they're very serious and logical, and other times where you can have a good laugh, they laugh at stupid jokes and bump into walls. I don't think that being intelligent is incompatible with being goofy sometimes. How sad of a world would it be if people were serious all the time? ;)**

 **Sorry for ranting, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Spencer**

As the doctor heard his bell, he got onto his feet to answer the door.

"Hey."

"Hey, Lilith." Spencer replied, a little confused by her visit. "Come in."

She stepped into the doctor's flat.

"You can sit on the sofa, if you want. I'll make us some tea."

Spencer disappeared into the kitchen, and soon came back with two cups in his hands. He joined the young woman on the couch, and handed her a mug. She wrapped her fingers around it, weary.

"About last night, I feel like I owe you an explanation..."

"Lilith, you don't owe me anything. You're my friend, I'm supposed to watch your back. It was just a bad moment, that's all."

"You saw it, didn't you?"

"Saw what?" Spencer asked, a slight idea in mind.

"When you tucked me in bed, you saw the picture on my table, right?"

"Yeah, sorry... I-I didn't mean to intrude."

"Don't worry, you did what was best. You were bound to see my flat, anyways." Lilith answered. She stuffed her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a small photograph. "Spencer, the reason why I've been acting weird yesterday was because of her."

The doctor took a close look at the image. No doubt, it was the third girl from the bedside table picture.

"This is Angela. She was Ezra's step-sister." Lilith took a deep breath. "Yesterday was her death's fifth anniversary."

Lilith turned her face away, as she did not want Spencer to see her cry. She wanted him to still see her as the "happy" and "quirky" version of herself. Spencer, however, gently took her face between his hands so that he could look into her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay." He said, in a soothing voice.

He took her into an embrace, and she buried her face in his neck. He slowly stroked her hair, as he whispered,

"I'm so sorry, Lilith."

She let go of Spencer, her tears drying.

"She died in a car accident, you know."

"I see. Is that why you didn't want to be taken home by car, yesterday?"

She silently nodded.

"It was when I got my medical degree. We went out to celebrate, and she was the designated driver. Angela was always the mom friend in our group." Lilith remembered fondly. "Ezra, my college friend Jeanine and I were drunk, and we stayed in the backseats. The accident happened really fast... our car collided face front with another one. The three of us only got minor concussions, but Angela received all the shock from the impact. She died a few hours later at the hospital. She was my best friend. I fell into depression, and I tried to bury my own grief by attending as many parties as I could, and being sober as least as possible. It got so bad, I had to drop out from my forensic pathology studies for a semester. I stayed at the hospital until I got better."

"Why were you at the hospital?"

"Failed suicide attempt."

Spencer stared at her, at a loss for words.

"After her death, I blamed myself for everything, as car wrecks survivors usually do. I still get nightmares from the accident."

"Have you ever considered the possibility you might have PTSD?"

"It's more than a possibility. I've been seeing a therapist for the past five years, for the depression and the trauma. I've been trying art therapy, which is nice. I've always liked painting."

Spencer recalled the first time he saw her, sketching shapes in her leather notebook, perhaps sketching her nightmares.

"I'm sorry, Spencer. I feel like I've been dishonest. I'm not as cheerful as I make it seem. I'm just broken."

"Don't say that. You're not broken. You're allowed to be weak, to be sad sometimes. This does not change the way I see you. You're still my friend, Lilith, only you've gone through tough times and that is normal! The point is, you're a strong and beautiful human being, and that won't change."

Lilith was moved to tears, and she took his hand.

"Thank you, Spencer. I really needed that. You have no idea how happy I am to have you as a friend."

He squeezed her hand back.

"Same here. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Lilith let go of the doctor's hand, and wiped her tears away.

"I don't know if I should ask this question, but..."

"Go ahead, I'll tell you anything."

"Who's Maeve? You don't have to tell me. I mean, Jennifer let her name slip yesterday and I was wondering... I'm sorry, I don't want you to be uncomf-"

"Hey, don't worry. Maeve was... my first serious girlfriend. And my last."

"Oh, I see. Did you love her?"

"Yes, I did." Spencer replied.

"Then why did it end?"

The doctor took a deep breath.

"It's a long story, and an unhappy one."

"I'm willing to listen. You listened to mine, after all."

"The thing is, Maeve and I never actually met. She was a geneticist who worked on my file, and we happened to like each other, so we stayed in contact. She had a stalker, so we were both afraid to meet up. So I'd call her from pay-phones, and we talked that way for about ten months. One day, she disappeared. Her stalker had taken her. My team and I searched, and we found where she was being held. But the operation went wrong, and the stalker killed themselves along with Maeve."

Lilith was in shock.

"I-I don't know what to say, Spencer. I-I'm so sorry..."

And, for the first time, she saw him cry.

"Hey, come here." She said, as she brought him to her.

Spencer didn't mind her hugging him. He wanted, he needed to be held. He let the tears flow, damping her green sweatshirt, as he revelled in her sweet perfume of caramel. It felt so... cathartic, to be able to tell his story, as if he'd bottled up everything. And her simple touch soothed him like no one ever could.

They stayed in that embrace for a long time, both relieved they had someone to hold onto.


	18. Chapter 18

**Spencer**

The doctor sighed as the team closed another case. He started collecting stuff from his desk, and prepared to go home. He might even get the chance to hang out with Lilith if she was free. As he got out of the office, Spencer heard a few giggles in the corridor.

"Oh my god, tonight's gonna be so much fun!" Garcia squealed.

"Yeah, it's been a while since we've had a girl's night." Emily agreed. "Are you sure you can't come, JJ?"

"I'm so sorry girls, I have to take care of Henry tonight since Will's out of town... I really wanted to come, though."

Spencer, overhearing the conversation, interfered.

"Hey, JJ. If you drop off Henry at my place, I can take care of him for tonight."

"Seriously? That would be amazing. Thank you so much, you're a lifesaver." Jennifer's face showed relief. She smiled, and he reciprocated.

"Yup, I'll see you and Henry at my place in an hour, then?"

"Of course, thank you so much once again."

Lilith picked up her vibrating phone from her pocket.

"Dr Park, from Washington's medical examination office. What can I do for you?"

"Hey, it's Spencer."

The young woman's face lit up. Ever since they'd talked about their past, it felt as though they'd grown even closer.

"Hey, Doc! I didn't check the caller ID. So, what's up?"

"Not much, it's just that tonight I'm babysitting my friend's kid, so I doubt we'll be able to watch the new Doctor Who episode together..."

"Oh..." Lilith was a little disappointed. "Wait, maybe I can come help you babysit? We could still watch the episode."

"I don't want to bother you..."

"I love kids. It won't be any bother!" She replied cheerfully.

"Okay then I guess, I'll see you at my place in a bit?"

"Yup, I'm soon done with work."

Lilith smiled at the prospect of seeing the doctor, as she zipped up the body bag.

"Thank you so much again, Spencer, really."

"Oh, don't worry. I love spending time with Henry anyways. Lilith will help me a bit, she's in the kitchen right now."

"I see." JJ replied, a huge smirk on her face. "Well, I'll leave you guys then. Hope you have a good time, I'll come get him tomorrow morning? "

"Yup!"

"Thank you, goodbye my boy!" The woman said as she crouched and placed a kiss on her son's cheek.

"Goodbye mama!" Henry replied before Spencer closed the door.

The little boy ran inside the apartment, overjoyed to spend some time with his godfather. Henry, completely distracted, ran into a short woman.

"Sorry!" The boy said, as he rubbed his head.

"Don't worry." Lilith smiled, and bent over to be face to face with him. "You must be Henry! I'm Lilith."

"Hello, Lilith."

"Oh my, you're adorable!" She said as she ruffled his hair. "Do you want some hot chocolate?"

The little boy nodded with glee.

"Okay, I'll be in the kitchen, you and Spencer can start watching the episode! You like doctor Who, right?"

"Yeah!" He replied, overly excited.

"Then come over here!" Spencer said, tapping on the spot next to him on the sofa.

The boy ran into the arms of his godfather, as they giggled. Lilith smiled at the scene. She turned on her heels, and made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed a carton of milk, and the box of cocoa from a cupboard. Taking a spoon from a drawer and a mug from a shelf, she started making the hot chocolate. As she stirred the powder in the drink, she realised how well she knew Spencer's flat. Every cupboard, every drawer - Lilith had explored every corner. She had never gotten this close to anyone in such a little amount of time. It felt as though Spencer, whom she'd known for less than a year, got her in a way no one else could. She smiled as she remembered the course of the last months, and how him being there for her had really made her feel better. Somehow, his presence made her feel at home, but it also made her cheeks go pink for some reason...

"Lilith?" Spencer called from the living room.

"Yup, I'm coming!" She said. The young woman picked up the hot chocolate, and brought it over onto the sofa. She handed the mug to Henry, as he cheered.

"Shall we start?" The doctor asked, controller in hand.

"Yes!" The little boy shouted.

Lilith smiled. She felt at her place, sitting between the little boy and Spencer. Henry had his head on her lap, and her shoulder was slightly touching Spencer's arm. She stroked the boy's blonde hair, as the episode started. In that precise moment, it kind of felt like they were a small family.

Although the new episode ended an hour later, Henry was still bursting with energy. "No! I don't wanna sleep!" The little boy had declared.

"Okay, then what do you want to do?" Lilith asked.

Henry thought for a bit, before replying,

"A fort! I wanna make a fort!"

Spencer smiled.

"Okay, let's make a fort. But first, we have to find the materials."

And they all searched around the house. Henry ran to the bedroom, and grabbed the pillows. Spencer pulled out blankets from a cupboard, and Lilith hauled over a few chairs.

Soon enough, the fort had been built. "Scientifically crafted to resist", as Spencer put it. The woman was touched; she knew the doctor hated disorder in his house, which meant that the little boy was special to him. The three of them kneeled, and entered the fort. It was small, yet cosy. They were tired from all the frantic running around. Henry sat next to Lilith, and rested his head on his shoulder. His eyes had been heavy, and he could know feel them close, slowly. Suddenly, quiet snores could be heard. The little boy had been fast asleep. The two friends gave him an affectionate look, before tucking him properly by placing a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body.

"God, he's so small." She whispered.

"Yeah. I hope he never grows."

"Why?"

"I don't want him to be corrupted by people. I don't want him to be pressured later in life to achieve great things."

"Is that how you feel, as an adult?"

"I don't know. Because of my IQ, I always felt pressured to achieve great things, you know."

"I think being part of the BAU is a wonderful thing."

"But is it great? Someone like me should be out there, changing the world."

"You're changing other people's worlds. You're saving people, Spencer."

She took his hand, enlacing her fingers with his. He squeezed back.

"Thank you." The doctor smiled. Lilith felt her heart beat faster at the sight of him. She shook her head, trying to forget the feeling in her chest. The forensic pathologist wondered why he was suddenly feeling so insecure, as realisation hit her.

 **A day later**

Spencer, as usual, opened his post box to check his mail. He flipped through the different newspapers and bills, when he saw a small card. Tiny handwriting, and little drawings of doctor Who characters. Spencer smiled, as he realised who was the sender. He quickly opened the card.

 _Happy birthday, Doctor Spencer Reid!_

 _A little googling told me you were turning 30. I now kind of understand why you were brooding so much yesterday. I think you're a great person, doing great things. So what, if you're not the next Nobel prize, or the next president of the United States? Who cares? You're the most intelligent and bravest man I've ever met. To me, you're worth all the awards._

 _Love, Lilith._


	19. Chapter 19

Lilith rang the doorbell. Soon enough, Spencer opened the door. The sight of her made him smile.

"I'm bored, Spencer. I haven't seen you for the past week because of your case. Can I stay with you?"

"Yeah, sure. You're always welcome here."

"Thanks, I was so lonely without you I thought I might die."  
Lilith walked past him, and crashed onto his couch. She laid down and folded her legs, so that Spencer could sit next to her. The doctor took a seat on the sofa, a little tense. He was usually confortable around her, but today, he was a little uneasy. He couldn't help but overthink her letter, and how she'd ended it with « Love, Lilith ». It probably hadn't meant anything, but it still had risen questions within him. And the fact that she was laying down next to him wearing only a tank top and shorts didn't help much, either. Lilith propped herself on her elbows, and stared into Spencer's eyes, that had previously been running over her curves.

"I'm sorry if I've interfered something, it was really selfish to come unannounced. I just... missed you."

Spencer's heart skipped a beat.

"I missed you too." He replied simply.

She gave him a small smile.

"What were you doing before I rudely interrupted?"

"Well, um. I was writing a letter. To my mother, actually."

"That's nice of you. I only text my mother, I'm not so traditional." She laughed lightly.

"Yeah." He chuckled back, but she could tell there was some sadness hidden behind his smile.

"Spencer. What's wrong?"

"No, it's just... the whole 'writing a letter a day' thing kind of makes me feel a little selfish. As if I was avoiding visiting her."

"Why would you avoid visiting her?" Lilith furrowed her brow.

Spencer took a deep breath, looking stern.

"My mom is a paranoid schizophrenic. She's in a center, in Vegas."

Lilith fell silent. She knew what Spencer was fearing. After all, she was a doctor herself, and she knew his mother's condition could be hereditary.

"Does it feel as though you're escaping the truth? That you don't want to visit her because you're scared of your own mind?"

Spencer just looked at her, and nodded. She had exactly put into words how he felt. Lilith put herself in a sitting position, and thought for a moment.

"I advise you get two tickets for Las Vegas, then."

"Two?"

"We're gonna give your mom a visit."

Spencer couldn't believe it. She was ready to give up some of her own vacation days just for him. He couldn't let her do that, no matter how much he wanted to go with her.

"Lilith, I-"

"Nope. You don't get to say no. I know how you are, Spencer. If you don't have anyone to push you through the doors of that center, you're gonna chicken out and run back home."

She was right. Spencer gave a soft chuckle.

"Alright, alright. You'll have to tell me when you're free, though, so we can set this up properly." He paused. "My mom's gonna be so happy."

Lilith smiled.

"We're doing this, then."

 _2 weeks later_

The two stood at the front of the building. Spencer took a deep breath. They really were going to do this. He glanced at Lilith, and saw her encouraging look.

"Let's go."

Spencer pushed the door, and they entered the small center. It reminded Lilith of the hospital she used to work at, except with less smells and more welcoming furniture. The agent paced toward the front desk, where he was greeted by a middle aged woman.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Reid. We were wondering if the patient Diana Reid is here?"

"Yes, she should be at the library around this time. It's on the second level, the elevator is at the end of the corridor at your right."

"Thank you." The man replied, as he walked away. Lilith followed him into the corridor. They halted in front of the grey doors of the elevator, and waited. The doors opened, and the friends stepped inside. Spencer pressed on a button, and the two started going up. Lilith saw the doctor was shaking. She seized his hand, and Spencer immediately felt less tense. If it had been anyone else, he would have been concerned about the germs, but Lilith was different. As if... he wanted to touch her. As if he didn't care so much about the germs, as long as he was close to her. The elevator doors opened, and Spencer was unsure wether he should let go of her. He didn't even think he _wanted_ to let go. So they both stepped out, still holding hands.

"So, where's your mother?" Lilith asked, as she removed her hand from his to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. Spencer, to his own surprise, felt a little disappointed.

"She's over there. In the armchair." He replied, pointing to a frail older woman with a blonde pixie cut.

"Do you want to go talk to her?"

The doctor nodded. They walked up behind the woman.

"Hey, mom."

The woman looked back, disbelieving the words she had heard.

"Is that you, Spencer?" She asked, astounded.

"Yes, it's me."

"Oh god..." she pointed at a couple of chairs facing her. "Take a seat, the two of you."

The doctor and the young woman both sat down.

"So, this is my friend, Lilith." He said.

"Oh, yes. You told me about her in your letters."

"Mom..." Spencer looked down, embarrassed.

"He told you about me?" Lilith asked, both grinning and blushing.

"Oh, he mentions you all the time. I think he enjoys talking about you." The woman smirked.

"Okay mom, I think that's enough..." Spencer was dying of embarrassment; even his ears had turned red.

 _Cute_ , Lilith thought.

"How have your days been?" His mother asked.

"Pretty good, actually. Less headaches. I've also been hanging out with a really cool person..." he gave Lilith a small smile.

"I can't say the same for me." Diana sighed. "The people here are either crazy, or boring as hell." The three of them laughed.

"I'll make sure to call you more often, mom."

They shared a look, one that could only be shared between a mother and a son.

The three of them talked for another few hours. Lilith was surprised to learn Diana was a literature professor, and they discussed books and poems. They also talked about Reid's life, or about Lilith's anecdotes from when she was a hospital doctor. Perhaps too soon, the conversation had to end.

"Hey mom... we need to leave soon, we have a train to catch. I'll go talk a bit to the doctors and come back, okay?"

"Sure, my boy." She smiled, a little sad to see him go. Spencer stood up, and left for another room. Diana looked at Lilith for a few moments.

"You know, I think you're the first person Spencer has brought here."

Lilith looked up, surprised. The older woman took her hand.

"I'm glad you're Spencer's girlfriend."

"Oh, no. I think there's a misunderstanding. Doc and I are only friends."

The mother's eyes widened.

"You guys aren't together? Then why do you guys hold hands and why is he always writing to me about you?"

"It's just friendly, I suppose." Lilith gave a feeble smile, and shrugged.

"Honey, trust me. There's nothing friendly about the way he looks at you. I like you so far, so I expect you to take good care of him."

She wrapped her other hand around Diana's.

"I will."

Spencer soon came back, and placed a kiss on his mother's forehead.

"We have to go, but I'll call you as soon as I can. I hope I can visit again sometime."

"You're always welcome here, baby boy. Good luck with the girl." Diana winked at her son, leaving the two friends slightly embarrassed.

"Thank you so much for today. No one has ever done that for me."

"Don't worry. I actually enjoyed talking to your mom. I like her."

"God, Lilith. I am so glad to have you around. You know, I haven't talked this openly to my mom in years."

"You've done so much for me. I had to do something in return."

Spencer took the young woman in his arms. Although she was confused at first, she quickly returned the hug by wrapping her arms around his neck. He revelled in her warmth, and he felt as if he might break down into tears. Everything he tried to ignore had just bottled up. The last few months, so may things had happened. Good things. It was as if Lilith had turned his world over with just a few words, a few touches.

"Thank you so much." Spencer said, softly.

"Thank you too."

They let go of each other. Lilith took out the keys to her flat. She thought for a moment.

"You should come over sometime."

Spencer was surprised by her proposition. Lilith usually didn't let him come into her apartment. He nodded.

"I will. Good night, Lilith."

"Goodnight, Doc."


	20. Chapter 20

**Spencer**

Spencer sipped on his tea at the kitchen counter, while Lilith laid down on her sofa. This was his first time hanging out in her flat, and he had consciously chosen not to sit too close to her, as he did not like the way his brain was unable to focus when she was next to him.

Lilith let out a sigh, and sat on the couch. She brought her folded legs to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. The young woman looked pensive.

"Is there something wrong, Lilith?"

"Oh, Doc, it's not that important. Don't worry."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Of course she knew that. It was the precise reason why she could not tell him. She didn't want things to become awkward and lose him.

To her surprise, the doctor got up from his chair and took a seat next to her. Ignoring the feeling in his chest, he took her hand.

"Seriously, Lilith. If you don't want to tell me then don't tell me. But know that I can help you."

Lilith took a large breath.

"Okay. Basically, every year, for Christmas, we have a big family reunion. And every year, they try to set me up with someone. So, this year, I told them I already had a boyfriend."

"Oh." Spencer said, a weird feeling in his chest.

"Except I don't. And now, they want me to bring him to the family reunion."

"I see." Spencer was weirdly relieved. "Do you think perhaps... I could pretend to be... you know? I mean, we're friends and all so it's not that big of a dea-"

"You'd do that for me?" Her eyes widened.

"Lilith, you practically reconciled my mother and I, which I thought would be impossible. Of course I'd do that."

"Are you sure?" I wouldn't want to interrupt any plans of yours..."

"Positive. My mom isn't in a good shape for visits at the moment, and most of my team has plans."

"Oh my, Spencer. I'm so happy to have you as a friend." Lilith rose from her seat, smiling, and placed a kiss on the doctor's cheek before disappearing into the kitchen. Spencer was left flustered by this sudden action, and attempted to conceal his reddening cheeks.

The Park family residence was a charming suburban house, with the touch of eccentricity Spencer had expected from a family such as Lilith's. The porch was invaded by many plants, some so exotic the doctor himself couldn't recognise them. The shutters had all been repainted in vivid colours, from coral pink to a shade of baby blue, giving the house a certain liveliness.

"I like it. The house, I mean." Spencer said to Lilith as she took out her luggage from the car. She was surprised, as she expected the doctor to be perhaps a little weirded out. She giggled.

"Thank you, my lord, I see you behold great taste. Shall we presently step inside?" Lilith said, with an exaggerated posh tone. Spencer snickered.

"Of course, Milady. Could I perhaps take care of your luggage?" The young man continued.

"How gallant." Lilith smiled as she handed over her bag.

The friends walked up to the front door. She rang the bell, and they both waited on the porch, surrounded by the plants.

"Thank you for everything, again." She said.

Spencer smiled.

"You're my friend. I'd do anything to help."

Their conversation was interrupted by an opening door.

"Lilith! Come here, darling!" A short and heavy woman squealed at the door.

"Aunt Marthe! Je suis tellement heureuse de te voir! So happy to see you!" She replied, taking the woman in an embrace. As they let go, Marthe eyed the man standing next to her niece.

"And who is this charming young man?" The woman asked, with a smirk and a thick french accent.

"This is Spencer. He's, um..."

"I'm her boyfriend. Nice to meet you." He slightly nodded with a smile. Lilith's heart skipped a beat as the man pronounced the words.

"Come on, get in, you lovebirds!" The sturdy woman said, pulling them inside as she closed the door behind.

As soon as Lilith had stepped into the house, everyone cheered, and a dark haired man ran to her. He wrapped his arms around the young woman, and lifted her off the ground.

"Dad! Put me down!" Lilith giggled.

"Oh, I'm just so happy to see you, my little girl!"

The man put down his daughter, and turned to the doctor.

"Hello Spencer. I'm Takeshi. I'm looking forward to spending the next couple of days with you guys. Let me take your bags to your room!" The father said with a smile.

He was a charismatic man, probably in his fifties. Spencer looked at him and Lilith, and smiled at their resemblance. She had the same mannerisms.

Another woman approached the two friends, and took the two of them in her arms.

"It's so good to see you two! I'm Isabelle, this charming young lady's mother." She said, with a similar french accent.

"Moooom..." Lilith grinned, embarrassed.

"Nice to meet you, mrs. Park."

He reluctantly took out his hand, but to his surprise, the mother didn't shake it.

"Just call me Isabelle. My daughter told me about your germ problem. Don't worry, my husband is the same as you." She smiled. "Well, Lilith, you should probably see the rest of the family? They all seem eager to see you!"

Lilith introduced him as her boyfriend to the rest of her large family: her grandmother, a few of her young cousins, as well as a handful of aunts and uncles. Most of them gave the young woman a series of discreet smirks and knowing looks. Lilith was embarrassed, but Spencer couldn't help but laugh. Her family formed a jolly group, and the doctor already felt at place thanks to their warmth and quirkiness. Takeshi was soon back downstairs, and he tapped on the shoulders of the two friends.

"Ok lovebirds. Your room is ready, so I advise you guys go up and get ready for dinner."

"Of course, Papa!" The daughter placed a kiss on her father's cheek, and took the doctor's hand before leading him upstairs. As she closed the door to their room, she spoke.

"Sorry, my family is a bit overwhelming sometimes." She smiled as she gave a little sigh.

"I think they're really charming people. I've never really had such a close family, so I'm a little envious."

"Oh, Spencer. You're welcome here anytime."

"As your 'boyfriend', or...?" He joked. The two of them laughed.

"As anything, honestly." She gave him an indecipherable smile. "Well, we should probably unpack fast and get changed, before my family starts wondering what we're doing."

"You're probably right." The doctor replied.

The two friends were soon back downstairs, ready to join the family for dinner. They sat next to each other.

Isabelle, Lilith's mother, started. "First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming. I'd also like it if you guys treated Spencer with kindness, as he's now part of the family."

Spencer was touched by these words.

"Wow, I am really honoured. I don't even know if I deserve it."

"Of course you do, silly." The grandmother told Spencer. "You know, you're the first person Lilith has ever brought home. And it's not like she hasn't dated before, I mean look at how pretty s-"

Lilith felt her cheeks turn red. "Okay Grandma, that's enough. Could we, uh, start serving the soup?"

The large bowl was passed around, and everyone served themselves to the pumpkin soup.

"So, Spencer. I heard you go by . Do you practice in a hospital? Or do you have your own clinic?" Lilith's father asked.

"Actually, no. It's a title I earned from a doctorate."

"Oh." Marthe replied, impressed. "And what is it in?"

"Maths, chemistry, and engineering. I have B.A's in philosophy, sociology and psychology." He replied, humbly, while taking a spoon of the soup.

The whole table was astonished. They had known Lilith was a genius, but they did not expected her to find someone so alike. Most of the family members had to close their gaping mouths.

A teenage cousin of Lilith shook her head before asking,

"Wow. What? What even is your job?"


	21. Chapter 21

"I work for the BAU." Spencer replied simply.

"And what is that?" A cousin asked.

"It's the behaviour analysis unit, for the FBI."

Silence. Lilith's family was yet again dumbfounded.

"A fed? Lilith, you will never cease to impress me. You found yourself a good one, it seems." Marthe laughed as she playfully winked to her niece, making the young woman blush from the remark.

The rest of the evening was spent bombarding Spencer with questions about his job, his cases and his everyday life. Although Lilith was a bit annoyed by her family's lack of tact, Spencer did not mind it in the least. He felt integrated.

"Thank you, mrs. Pa- I mean, Isabelle. The dinner was excellent."

"It was a pleasure to be introduced to you!" The woman turned to her daughter. "By the way, Lilith. Mark should be here tomorrow, so I expect you'll make sure to welcome him while I'm out shopping."

Lilith visibly tensed at the mention of the name, which caught Spencer's eye.

"Of course, maman."

Later that evening, as the two had rejoined the room, Spencer asked the dreaded question, the one that had been running around his mind.

"Who's Mark?"

"Oh, just a family friend. Don't worry."

"Well I am worrying, considering how you reacted back then. He can't just be 'a family friend'."

"Damn you and your profiler talents. Why do you even care?" She sighed, and grabbed a book. She laid down, her back facing him. As much as she adored Spencer, she didn't know if she wanted him to see her like this.

The doctor sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You can tell me, you know. Unless you don't want to. Then, I won't pressure you. But you looked so sad when she mentioned him, it feels like I need to know. I don't want you to be sad." Spencer admitted.

Lilith looked away. "Remember when I told you about my depression, after Angela died?"

He nodded. He couldn't ever forget.

"At the beginning, Mark was my therapist. He was a family friend, so he accepted to take care of me after the incident." She took a deep breath. "Mark was married, but I fell in love with him, still. Maybe it was because of my vulnerable state. But yes, we ended up having an affair. It's not something I'm happy about. I was so fragile and desperate, I'd actually believe it when he'd say he'd leave his wife. To him, it was just a game. In the end, I broke it off, and I think it's one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Spencer was astonished by her story, and he started to feel a strong feeling of hatred for the man. How could Mark exploit such a kind soul as Lilith's? How could he dare still show his face around her family, knowing what he'd done?

"I firmly thought it was romantic, and I loved him deeply. Now that I think back, he was probably using me for...you know." Her face showed a sad expression.

Spencer couldn't believe it. His hands were balling up into fists, and he couldn't explain the anger he was feeling within him himself.

"We should probably go to sleep." Lilith said, her voice a little more feeble than usual.

"Yeah, you're right."

Spencer got up on his feet.

"So... what are the sleeping arrangements?" The doctor asked.

"Oh, uhm... I'll admit I didn't really think it through..." Lilith said, her hand on her forehead. She was a little embarrassed, as the only thing in their room was a king sized bed.

"Well, that's alright. I'll take a few extra covers and lie down." The doctor replied, not wanting to make Lilith feel uncomfortable.

"Are you sure? I mean I invited you, so I can take the floor."

"A hundred percent sure." He smiled at the young woman. "You probably want to change right? I'll go put on my pyjamas in the bathroom."

"Yeah, thanks."

The doctor got up, holding his change of clothes in his arms, and entered the little bathroom. It was a soft baby blue, and there was a large mirror above the sink. After having slipped into his soft cotton shirt and trousers, Spencer took a look at himself in the glass. He ruffled his hair, brushed his teeth, and sprayed some cologne on his neck. The man took a deep breath, and made his way out of the bathroom.

As he pushed their room's door, he heard a tiny squeal. It was a bit too late, and Spencer caught a glimpse of Lilith in her underwear. Her face quickly turned red. She looked incredibly embarrassed.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Spencer quickly shut the door, mortified by the incident. His heart was beating faster. The doctor desperately tried to shake his head to erase the images of Lilith. He couldn't help but think about the flush of her cheeks. Spencer tried to hit his forehead, wanting to get rid of these thoughts as well as the uneasy feeling in his chest.

Lilith opened the door, this time dressed.

"I'm so sorry, Lilith, I thought you'd already changed and I-"

"Hey, Doc. It's alright." She grinned awkwardly at his embarrassment. "Come in."

The doctor entered the room, silent.

"Anyways, it's not the first time you've seen a girl in your underwear, right?" She asked rhetorically as she took a seat on the bed, wanting to break the silence. The doctor remained speechless. Lilith was confused.

"Wait... is it?"

"N-no. But... it is worth mentioning that I wasn't fully aware the couple of times I have." The doctor looked away.

"Can I ask a private question? You don't have to answer."

"Go ahead."

"Are you a virgin?" She asked, no judgement in her voice.

"No. But I would have preferred to be one."

"Why?" Lilith asked, her curiosity taking her.

"Because I lost it to a girl while I was drunk at a party. I'd rather have lost it to someone that I actually like." Spencer looked straight into Lilith's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, I see. Yeah, I wished I hadn't lost it to Mark, either."

"Mark?"

"Yeah. He's one of the very few guys I've been with."

Spencer felt even more hatred than he thought would be possible.

"Mark's an asshole."

The girl laughed, as she hardly ever heard the agent swear. Spencer smiled. He loved hearing her laugh.

"True." She replied between two small snorts. "Thank you for making me feel better. And coming here in general." She took his hand, and gave him a little smile.

"You're welcome." He returned her smile. "We should probably sleep now."

"Yeah... I don't want Aunt Marthe to see the light and wonder what we're doing up so late." They laughed.

Spencer laid down on the floor next to Lilith, as she slipped into the covers of her king sized bed.

"Good night, Doc."

"Good night, Lilith."

A few hours later, Spencer woke up, completely panicked. He had heard a scream. As he jumped unto his feet, he saw Lilith, heavily panting, tears streaming down her cheeks. She could barely breathe.

"Sp- Spencer..." She managed to choke out.

He quickly jumped unto her bed, and held her in his arms. He instinctively grabbed the ventoline in the bedside table, and gave it to her. After having a couple of puffs of the medication, Lilith started to relax.

"I'm so sorry, Spencer."

"Shh... it's alright." He stroked her hair. "Tell me what happened."

"I- this hasn't happened in such a long time... I get nightmares, sometimes. Because of the car accident. Then I can't breathe very well so I have to take some ventoline. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I just... never thought it would happen again after such a long time. I guess it's just stress."

Spencer understood immediately. The prospect of seeing Mark had probably made her extremely nervous, and triggered one of her anxiety fuelled dreams.

"Don't be sorry. I'm here now."

Spencer held her in her arms for the rest of the night. Lilith hadn't slept that well in a long time.


	22. Chapter 22

As her eyes fluttered open, Lilith lazily looked up. She was greeted with Spencer's face, still asleep. Confused at first, she suddenly remembered the entire night.

 _Crap_ , she thought. She felt ashamed.

Lilith didn't move so as not to wake up Spencer, but mostly because his chest was warm. She kept her face in the crease of his neck. He smelled like lime. Suddenly, she felt him move under her, and the doctor opened his eyes.

"Hey..." Spencer softly said, stroking back one of her black locks. "How did you sleep?" He asked.

"Well, thanks to you. I'm really sorry about last night, I should have told you about my panic attacks."

"Hey, it's okay. It wasn't your fault."

She remained silent, her head still resting on his chest.

"Can we stay like this for a little longer?"

"Of course." The doctor replied with a soft voice.

They lingered, their bodies close but comfortable. The room was calm, and they could both picture themselves falling asleep very soon.

"LILITH!"

The door flung open, and two children ran into the room. They jumped unto the bed of the friends, and disrupted the comfortable silence.

"Come eat with us!" The kids screamed gleefully, jumping around her. They were probably her cousins, around four or five.

"Yes, yes..." The young woman sighed affectionately as she rubbed her tired eyes. The children were delighted, and quickly ran out of the room. "Guess we got to go, Doc."

"I don't think you should call me Doc in front of your family, it sounds quite friendly." Spencer joked.

"Really?" She smiled. "I always saw it as sort of teasing and playful. Maybe even cute."

"Is that what you initially thought of when you first called me that?" He smirked.

"Maybe, my sweet defibrillator."

"Wait, is 'my sweet defibrillator' my new nickname?"

"Of course not, bacon pie." She smiled maliciously, and jumped out of bed. Her oversized shirt made her seem even more petite, and her ruffled hair was simply adorable. Spencer just wanted to reach out to her and hug her again. She turned around, and asked with a smile,

"So, are you coming 'darling'?"

Spencer grabbed a boiled egg. The breakfast table was lively, as everyone had gotten together for the meal.

"So...I suppose you guys had fun last night..?" Aunt Marthe shot a look at the two friends.

"Excuse me...what?"

"I heard you scream 'Spencer'. You aren't very discreet, you know." Marthe winked at her niece and giggled.

Lilith's mouth formed an O as she realised what the older woman was insinuating. Her face turned red as stuttered a response.

"Oh, god no... auntie...it's not what you think..."

"Jesus Lilith, no need to explain. You guys are young and need some fun! I underst-"

"Marthe! There are kids around this table!" Her face was so red it was nearly the same shade as the grape juice she was drinking.

Spencer just laughed, a tiny bit embarrassed. He took Lilith's hand and replied to Marthe.

"We're waiting until marriage."

Lilith nearly choked.

Marthe simply exploded with laughter.

"I like you a lot, Spencer, but you can't trick me. I know she's tamed the snake before."

Lilith dramatically face palmed.

"Could you... not use disgusting metaphors when taking about me?"

"Alright, alright..." Marthe repressed her laughter.

The young woman stood up, her empty plate in hand. She leaned over to Spencer, and whispered playfully,

"You. You're gonna die."

Lilith took another spoon of the ice cream she'd been sharing with Spencer. They were sat down on the couch, catching up on the latest episodes of Doctor Who. They were a couple of episodes behind, as they always waited for the other to actually watch the episode. It had become sort of a Friday night ritual. The television in Lilith's parents' house was quite old, and the sound wasn't extraordinary, but the two didn't particularly care.

"You know Lilith, Doctor Who is great and all, but you know what's greater? Old Doctor Who. The series from the sixties remain the best ones."

"If you say so." She smiled, a spoonful of pistachio ice cream in her mouth. "You'll have to show them to me at your place so I can see for myself."

"Of course. Hey! Don't take all the ice cream!" Spencer yelled as Lilith dug her spoon yet again in the pot. The two giggled, nearly forgetting about the episode running in the background.

Aunt Marthe entered the room, and interrupted the two's conversation. She seemed a little agitated, a smile on her face.

"Sorry to disturb you guys, but Lilith, you should come say hi to Mark!"

Lilith turned pale. She gave a quick glance to Spencer, one that Marthe seemingly failed to notice. The doctor grabbed her hand and said,

"I'd like to meet him too, my love."

He squeezed her hand, as if to tell her 'I'm here.' Lilith gave him a small smile. The two got up from the couch, and followed Marthe into the dining room.

Mark was a tall man, seeming to be in his late thirties, or perhaps early fourties. His shoulders were much broader than Spencer's, and his hair much darker. As soon as he saw Lilith, Mark sprung to his feet to greet her.

"Lilith! It's been such a long time!" He gave her a quick, friendly embrace. His attitude unnerved Spencer - his nonchalantness, as if nothing had happened.

"Hi Mark..." Lilith replied, faking a smile. "Hum... this is my boyfriend, Spencer. Spencer, this is Mark, a family friend."

"Oh hi, Mark."

Lilith was surprised, as Spencer took out his hand to shake Mark's. By the expression on his face however, it seemed as though the BAU agent had squeezed a little too tight.

The tension between the two was immediately felt, leaving Lilith somewhat uncomfortable.

"Hum- okay, maybe we should go back into the living room? Spencer and I were watching Doctor Who, actually."

Mark agreed unenthusiastically.

The following hour or so had been extremely awkward, as the three of them sat on the couch. Mark clearly had no interest in science fiction as he just sighed at all improbable events, and Spencer was disgruntled by the fact his special Doctor Who time with Lilith was shared with this random guy. _It's not jealousy,_ Spencer thought. _No, I'm just annoyed, that's it._

So, when Isabelle came back from shopping, it was kind of like a gift from the gods. She called everyone for lunch, and interrupted the awkward party the three were having. Unfortunately, the two friends had to sit right in front of him, as Isabelle had already sat down everyone else.

"Mark, it's so good to see you!" Said Isabelle, as she smiled to the man. "How have you and Elena been?"

"Pretty good. Right now she's working at a daycare center. She is just so good with kids, I'm lucky to have her as my wife."

This led to Spencer discreetly raising an eyebrow, slightly disgusted.

The rest of the meal was spent in this manner, with Isabelle making conversation with Mark as the two friends remained entirely silent. As the meal ended, Isabelle raised her voice:

"Are there any volunteers to clean up the table?"

"I can do it." Spencer quickly replied.  
"No problem." Said Mark.

The two had spoken simultaneously.

Isabelle laughed.

"Well, since you guys seem so keen on helping out, you can do the dishes together!"

"...yeah." Spencer muttered.

The two washed the dishes (or rather, Spencer was washing the plates while Mark dried them), until Mark broke the silence.

"I saw how you were giving me bad looks, earlier."

"Hmm..?" He replied nonchalantly.

"Lilith probably told you for me and her, right?"

"Her and I."

"What?"

"You said me and her. Its 'her and I', actually."

"Whatever. She probably lied anyways."

"Why do you say that?" Spencer asked.

"Well, because you know. She was a naive girl. She probably didn't know better."

"Develop."

"I mean, she's kind of in the wrong, right? She _wanted_ to be with me. She couldn't actually think that I'd leave my wife for her?" He scoffed.

"So you don't think you're in the wrong?"

"I mean, I don't see the wrong in accepting advances, especially from a pretty girl like her. I mean, christ. She's hot as hell. So much better than the older ones. I'm sure you'd agree." He snickered and nudged Spencer, who remained cold.

"I'd rather you don't talk about my girlfriend like that. She's beautiful, indeed, but she's also the smartest and kindest woman I've met."

"Oh come on!" Mark laughed. "Don't play the romantic guy with me. I mean, have you seen her? I'd do silly things to have her again. Damn, I don't get why you aren't constantly onto her. She's a good ti-"

A loud crack was heard, as Mark fell on the floor. The man rubbed his jaw in disbelief.

"Did you just...punch me?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Spencer**

"Did you just... punch me?"

Spencer was dumbfounded for a moment, surprised by his own action.

"Uh, yeah... looks like I did."

Mark got onto his feet, anger burning in his eyes. His face was turning red; Spencer knew he was in trouble.

"Oh just you wait you fucking asshole... You're gonna regret this."

Mark was preparing himself to hit the young man, bringing his balled fists in front of his chest, a defying look on his face. Spencer remained serene.

"Actually, Mark, I won't regret this. Now I could stoop down to your level and fight you. Again, I'm not gonna, because you can't punch me. You may ask why. First of all, because I could hypothetically tell Isabelle all that happened between you and Lilith, and make sure you never step foot into this house ever again. Second of all, because your wife will be absolutely thrilled to learn that she has a cheating husband under her roof, and at that point you won't ever be able to step foot into your _own_ house ever again."

At this point, the older man was fuming, mumbling under his breath. Spencer let a sly grin cross his face, and made his way for the door. Before leaving the room, he turned on his heels, and added,

"Also third of all, I'm in the FBI, dumbass."

Leaving Mark dumbfounded, Spencer quickly left the room for the living room. _Why the hell would you use the word dumbass? What has gotten into your head?!_ He thought. It was quite unlike him... despite being calm in appearance, there was this burning rage in every single word. Why? He'd faced worst people than cheaters or assholes...

"Sp-Spencer?"

The man quickly turned his head, surprised. There she was, in the corner of the living room. He hadn't seen her upon entering.

"Oh, Lilith."

Her face had a weird expression, her mouth half opened, as if she couldn't say something. Spencer understood.

"You saw that, didn't you?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I did." She finally answered.

"I'm sorry, it was out of my plac-"

Takeshi, the father of Lilith, entered the living room, a little confused.

"Hey guys, is everything okay here? I was upstairs and I heard a loud crash..."

"Yep dad, we're all good. I just dropped something."

"Oh, okay. Also, Mark just told me he had to leave somewhere... do you guys know what's wrong with him?"

"No idea." The two answered synchronically, before exchanging a small smile.

"You can sleep with me if you want, Spencer."

"Excuse me - What?"

"I know it hurt your back when you slept on the floor last time, and I know you won't let me sleep on the floor because you know about my insomnia, so we can compromise. We're good friends after all."

"Yeah, it's true." Spencer also told himself that in case she had a nightmare, he would already be next to her. He got up, lifted the cover and crawled in the sheets to lie down next to her. He remained stiff, a little awkward. The doctor shot a quick glance at Lilith: she was only wearing an oversized shirt. Spencer quickly looked away, a little uneasy. She, however, rolled around in the bed so she could face him, and looked into his eyes.

"Thanks for punching Mark today. It was quite satisfying to watch, even though I'm not used to that side of your personality."

Spencer smiled a little.

"I'm not used to it either, to be honest. I don't know myself so well. Actually, I think you're the person who knows the most about me." His hand under his pillow and his other on his chest, he slightly tilted his head so he could see Lilith properly.

"Same here." She simply replied, returning his smile. _Adorable_. "It's kind of funny. The only person who knew me as well was Angela, and she had known me since childhood. We've only known each other for around a year."

"Actually, 10 months and 3 weeks if you want a bit more precision."

She chuckled.

"Yeah, so you get my point. We're close both mentally and physically." She joked, referring to the bed they had to share. They laughed.

"Now that I think about it..." Spencer said jokingly, "If Derek saw us like that, sharing a bed, he'd probably go crazy. I'm such a mess around women and people in general that he'd be surprised."

"I think that you're more about creating meaningful relationships rather than rushing into ones you aren't sure about. Of course, your friend making process is slower than for other people, but then again everybody differs and that's why you shouldn't worry so much."

Spencer slightly nodded.

"Yeah, but sometimes I wish this process went a little faster, you know. We could have become friends earlier if I wasn't an awkward idiot. There are moments where I wish I was like Derek, you know? He's just so charismatic, strong and handsome, and I'm just-"

"No, Spencer. I usually love to hear you ramble but not here. I don't want you to put yourself down, because it hurts the both of us. You are most definitely not an « awkward idiot ». In fact, you're one of the smartest people I know. You shouldn't aspire to be like Derek, because you were already given a body, and a mind. You should only aspire to completely be yourself, and it's only when you achieve that that you'll become both charismatic and mentally strong. And seriously, I have no clue where you got the idea that you might not be handsome. You're much more my type than Derek."

Spencer was slightly surprised.

"I thought Mark was your type?"

Lilith pulled a face.

"Oh god. The sound of that name makes me want to puke. Only good guys for me now, please."

Spencer laughed at her grimace. When he calmed down, he linked his pinky with hers, not caring much about being touched. He wiped a laughter tear, and said,

"Thanks for being my friend."

Lilith grinned.

"You mean « thanks for being my BEST friend », right?"

Spencer smiled, a little surprised.

"Yeah, sure Lilith. Thanks for being my best friend."


	24. Chapter 24

"So how did you guys meet?" A cousin of Lilith asked.

Oh no. This was the last lunch the family would have together, and Lilith thought that her and Spencer would be able to get away without detailing their relationship. Well, that plan was certainly failing.

"Oh, I don't think you guys really wanna kno-" She mumbled.

"Actually, do tell us! I'd love to hear it!" The woman's aunt said.

The whole table was now eager to know. The two doctors were trapped. Seeing his friend was alarmed, Spencer started talking.

"Well actually, it's quite funny. We first saw each other on a train, but we actually met a few hours after that, at her workplace. I was working on a case involving a few murders around Washington, and she was the medical examiner assigned to us. She was actually really helpful, and was a key element that helped us crack the case. We went out for dinner after, and it just evolved after that."

"The most romantic part is that he gave me his number in a fortune cookie. In phonetic code." Lilith grinned confidently.

"That's oddly romantic." Takeshi smiled.

"And what was your first thought of our Lilith? You can be honest." Isabelle giggled, a wine glass in hand.

"I thought she was the oddest woman. I'd ever seen. But to be more honest, I thought she was simply beautiful." The table awed at the man's words.

Lilith raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

"I really don't understand why you feel the need to pack like, three different toothpastes, Spencer."

"Emergencies. You never know what might happen." He replied with a straight face.

"God, you're weird." She smiled.

"Hey, I could say the same about you... why would you randomly bring this stuffed toy?" He pointed at a squid-shaped cushion.

She pretended to be shocked, and grabbed the plushie to hold it to her chest defensively.

"Stop! You're offending Edward!" She paused for a moment. "This is why we're friends, isn't it?" The two friends laughed. They had been packing to leave for an hour, but kept distracting themselves by the contents of the other's bag.

"I'm actually gonna miss this place, you know." Spencer said, his three toothpastes still in hand.

"You're welcome to come back, you know." She replied, smiling as she stuffed her squid toy in her luggage. He smiled back at the young woman.

"Okay, Doc, are we ready to go?" She said, closing up the suitcase.

"Yup, I think so." The doctor quickly glanced around the room.

"Okay, let's go downstairs and say goodbye to everyone." Lilith walked out of the room carrying her bag, followed by Spencer, and proceeded to go down the stairs.

"Be careful..." Spencer said, seeing she was a little hurried to go down.

"Thank you, but dont worry too mu-"

The young woman slipped on a step as she talked.

The doctor quickly grabbed her arm with his free hand, and stuck out his leg in front of hers to prevent her from falling further. This had left the two of them in a weird position, as Spencer was practically pinning her to the wall. Lilith was confused, and her mouth was slightly opened. The proximity between them reminded her of the day they first met... she couldn't help but blush, her breathing becoming slightly uneven. Spencer let go of her, realising they'd stayed in that position for longer than needed.

"I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean to startle you..." He looked away as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, no, it's okay. Thank you for catching me." She replied.

"We should go downstairs..."

"Yeah, you're right."

His touch lingered on her wrist.

"Goodbye, mom and dad,I love you!"

"Goodbye, Lilith. Come visit us soon, and bring Spencer with you!" Her mother smiled. The two friends waved to the parents, standing on the porch of the house, as they made their way to the car. As Lilith closed the door of the passenger seat, she sighed deeply.

"God I'm glad you came... I don't know what I would have done if they kept asking me questions about boyfriends."

"I feel a bit bad for lying, though." Spencer said, as he inserted his key in the ignition.

"If you think about it, we didn't really lie. All we did was say that you were my boyfriend. And that's true, considering you're a male and you're my friend."

"Yeah you're right, actually. I don't think I said a single lie, to be honest."

"Wait, so you meant it when you said you thought I looked like the oddest girl you'd seen?"

"I still think that. I also said the truth when I said you're simply beautiful."

"Th-thanks."

Spencer felt a little bold, but Lilith's friendship made him feel at ease. He trusted her. He turned the key in the ignition, and the motor of the machine started.

After a few hours of car riding, the two arrived in front of Lilith's apartment, standing.

"Wanna come in for some tea?" She asked.

"God, I'd love to, but I can't. I have to go to work tomorrow. I just wanted to thank you for taking me to an important place to you. Also, I know we said we wouldn't get each other gifts for Christmas, but this doesn't really count as a gift... see it more as a favor."

The man dangled a single key in front of her face.

"What is that... wait- is it your apartment key?" She said as she took the metallic object between her fingers.

Spencer nodded. "I thought you might like having it, and I trust you enough. I realised that when you pushed me to take the trip to go see my mom. Now you can take books from my library even when I'm on a case!"

Seeing that she wasn't responding, Spencer started rambling.

"Oh, I knew this was a stupid thing to do... I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinkin-"

"No, no, don't apologise. I love it." She hugged him tightly, clenching on the key. "Thank you, Doc."


	25. Chapter 25

"Is the pizza ready yet?" Spencer shouted from the living room.  
"Wait a few minutes!" Lilith responded. She knew that it would be preferable not to order pizza, as she took into consideration his germophobia. She had therefore chosen to make it herself, as Spencer was less weary about things cooked by her. The doctor, however, was showing a bit more of his impatient side. After all, today had been a difficult case, and he hadn't even given himself the time to eat at all.

"Here it is, you big baby!" Lilith laughed as she brought over the fuming pizza.

"God, this looks so good..." he said, eyeing the food.

"Well I did have to practice, since I always have to cook for you. I would even say that I know your kitchen better than you do." She teased.

"Hey! I could make food for the both of us, but you'd probably go into a coma as soon as you'd bite into it."

"I guess reading books doesn't make you a good cook, huh?" Lilith grinned.

"You got that right." He said, biting into a slice of the pizza. "AH! Hot!" He screamed, immediately covering his mouth with his hand.

"What were you expecting?!" Lilith burst out laughing.

"I donf know! It bunfs!" The poor man cried out.

"Okay, I'll go get you a glass of cold water." She got up, and made her way to the kitchen. She couldn't help but giggle.

She came back, holding a green cup. As Lilith handed over the glass to the doctor, their fingers briefly touched, and their eyes crossed.

"Thanks, Lilith..." he said, softly.  
"No problem."

The forensic pathologist sat down next to him. She suddenly didn't know what to talk about, completely self conscious.

"So, hum, how has work been lately?" Lilith asked.

Spencer furrowed his brow, as he took a sip of water.

"That's an oddly generic question coming from you. But yeah, work has been fine."

"That's great." She smiled awkwardly. _Why are you like this?_ She thought.

"Are you okay? You seem a little on edge, Lilith..."

"I, hum, I don't-" She could only think about the way he said her name, so softly. "I don't know, Spencer... I think I'm a little flustered because of work and stuff." She replied. Yeah, that must be it: work. The young woman had been given more responsibilities at her job ever since one of her colleagues quit.

"Oh, okay. We can watch the film later, if you feel like talking about it."

"No, don't worry, I'm-" Lilith didn't finish her sentence, as her eye caught Spencer's. They looked at each other for a few seconds, before her phone started ringing. Lilith reached for her phone, and checked the caller ID before looking up to the agent.

"Sorry, I have to pick this up..."  
"Oh, yeah, sure, go ahead."

Lilith got up from the couch and made her way to the bedroom before picking up the call.

"Ezra? Is everything okay?" The young woman asked, slightly worried. She could hear sobbing noises in the background.

"Hey, Lilith. Sort of- hum, could you come over right now?"

 **Lilith**

"Ezra, is everything okay?" The young woman asked worriedly as she stepped into her friend's apartment.

"Yeah, it's not me, it's Jeanine..."

"Oh. Is it about Colin again?"

"Yeah. It's pretty bad this time."

Lilith thought for a moment, and remembered. "It's been a year today, day for day."

Ezra silently nodded. She turned around and led her friend through the corridor to the living room, where a young woman was sobbing on the couch.

Jeanine was a friend of Ezra and Lilith from university. Her fiancé had left her and, being an emotive person, she had been broken ever since. Lilith took a seat next to her friend on the sofa, and gently rubbed her back.

"It's going to be okay, Jay..."

Jeanine only started to sob even harder, her entire frame shaking. Lilith frowned, worried.

"Do you want anything? Maybe some ice-cream?" The medical examiner asked softly.

"Yeah..." She choked out.

"Okay, I'll go and get some in the kitchen. And I'll bring out the Pride and Prejudice dvd. The 90's version, with Colin Firth, okay?"

Jeanine simply nodded, her face still buried in her hands. Lilith got up, and made her way to the kitchen. Ezra followed her in, and closed the door behind them.

"Listen, Lil... this has been going on for too long now."

"She's been hurt, you know..."

"Yes, sure, but it's been a year now. She needs help to move on." Ezra replied firmly.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Lilith paused, as she opened a drawer. "But how do you plan on doing that, exactly?"

"Well, we could set her up on a date, you know."

"Okay..?" Lilith frowned, slightly suspicious of her friend's intentions.

"I'm not sure about dating websites, and I'm gay, so I don't really have many straight male friends. I know it's shallow, but like-"

"Ezra, what are you insinuating?"

"Well, maybe...we could set her up on a date with one of your friends?"

"Wow...okay, wait what-" Lilith stood still, confused.

"What about your colleague, Jonathan? He's cute, in a 'I-like-to-poke-dead-bodies-with-a-scalpel-for-my-career' kind of way."

"First of all, I'd like to remind that 'poking dead bodies with a scalpel' is also my career." She chuckled, pretending to be offended. "And also, Jonathan? He's married, you know."

"Oh thank god, that guy kind of creeps me out. I don't know how I could have left him with Jay." Ezra paused and thought for a moment. "What about Thomas, your cousin?"

"He has a girlfriend."

"And your college ex-boyfriend, Luke? You guys are still friends right? He's cute."

"Hum, yeah, about that. He's gay. I just covered for him for a bit."

"Gosh Lilith. WHY are you so nice." Ezra facepalmed before looking up, hit with realization. "Wait. You've been getting closer to the BAU, right? Any good looking men there?"

"Well, I mean, there's Derek, but I don't know if he's the relationship kind of guy..."

"What about Spencer?" Ezra asked suddenly.

Lilith felt a weird jolt in her chest.

"Uhm, well, I mean..."

"I know you guys are super close and all, but like there's nothing going on between the two of you, right?"

"I - It's... No, there's nothing." After all, it was true. She never really thought of herself being romantically involved with Spencer.

"So, it's okay if we set her up on a date with him?"

"Uh, yeah, of course!" She replied quickly, with a slightly uncomfortable smile.

"Okay, then now we just have to convince Jeanine!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Spencer**

From: Lilith  
 _"Hey, do you wanna go on a date?"_

Spencer stared at his phone screen, confused. Lilith had left in the middle of their hang out for an emergency, and now she was sending him this. He frowned, not knowing what to answer. He could feel his face burning.

The phone buzzed again.

From: Lilith  
 _"With my friend, Jeanine, I mean."_

Oh. _That makes more sense_ , he thought. Okay. He didn't really know what to answer, now. The year following the death of Maeve, he had been too hurt to pursue a romantic relationship. After some time, he was ready again. But these last months he felt so truly happy, he hadn't really reflected on things like dating. Spencer thought about it for a bit. What was to lose? Maybe his teammates would stop making fun of him and Lilith, and see he was actually capable of dating. He felt a little uncomfortable being set up by Lilith, for some reason unbeknownst to him. The doctor simply swallowed his pride and began typing.

 _Ok._

That sounded too dry. He didn't want to send that to Lilith.

 _Absolutely!_

Too much enthusiasm. He didn't want Lilith to think he was craving affection or something.

 _Sure_

That sounded good. Why did he care so much for what Lilith thought, anyway? He shook his head and pressed send.

 **Lilith**

Lilith took out her vibrating phone from her pocket and glanced at its screen.

From: Spencer  
 _"Sure"_

"So, he answered?" Ezra asked, entering the kitchen.

Lilith bit her lip. She didn't know if she wanted to say it. But Jeanine was her friend, she could trust her.

"He said yes."

"Oh my god! This is so awesome!" Ezra shrieked.

Lilith was happy for Jeanine, but there was a weird feeling in her chest as she said the words. Trying to forget it, she asked Ezra,

"So, did you talk to Jeanine? Did she also agree?"

"Well, she's willing to give it a try. So clearly, we won!" The woman high-fived Lilith.

"Okay, so where should they go? Do you know a nice place around?" Ezra asked excitedly.

All the nice places she knew were places that she and Spencer would hang out at together. And she wanted to keep them a secret between him and her.

"Um no, not really." Lilith shrugged.

"Well, then that's okay. I know a small diner not far from here, I think they'd really like it."

"Yeah, sounds good!" She smiled.

 **Spencer**

Looking down at his book, Spencer couldn't really focus. It had been a long time since his last date. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, and loosened his scarf. The doctor was really nervous.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Spencer looked up. The woman was standing in front of him. She awkwardly smiled. Her square face was framed by long, dirty blonde hair and a pair of glasses. She was quite pale, but not as much as Lilith. Unlike her, Jeanine had more green and yellow in her skin tone, and her voice was much deeper.

"I'm Jeanine, but you can call me Jay. Nice to meet you." She took out her hand.

"Oh, um. I don't do handshakes." Spencer shuffled awkwardly. "You know, germs. But I'm Spencer."

Jeanine gave a smile, a little weirded out as she put back her hand in her coat pocket. "Um, okay. Cool scarf, by the way. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, I made it myself. It's actually from Doctor Who, the fourth one."

"Doctor what?"

"British TV series?"

"Probably heard Lilith talk about it. She's into that kind of nerdy stuff."

"Oh, yeah. Okay. Well...uh, let's go in."

"Sure."

He opened the door and signalled her to go in.

"You're gallant." She laughed awkwardly.

"No, just well mannered." He replied, confused. He had never really understood the concept of gallantry.

"It's- don't worry about it." She sighed, and forced a smile.

They took a seat and were handed the menu. The two of them skimmed it for a bit.

"What are you taking?" Jeanine asked.

"I felt like having something different. Maybe have the chef's choice."

"What's in it?"

"I don't know." Spencer smiled.

"You don't want to look?"

"I'd rather be surprised. You know, change things up a bit."

"Seems too risky to me. I'll have waffles."

Lilith wouldn't have been so doubtful. She would have encouraged him to try new things. Maybe she'd even have done the same thing, in sign of solidarity. He remembered the first time they'd eaten together. She had made him pick a menu at random, and it ended up being amazing.

"Spencer?"

"Yeah?" The doctor snapped out of his thoughts.

"Did you hear me? I was asking what your job was."

"Oh. Well, I work for the FBI."

"Oh, that's like the secret agent work right?"

"Um, no. That would be the CIA. We just do investigative work. I'm a profiler, so I'm more in the psychology department."

"Oh, that's...great. Any cool murder stories to tell?" She joked, trying to break the ice.

Spencer was a little uncomfortable. Jeanine was a bit insensitive.

"Th- there's nothing really cool about murder. And I'm not really allowed to disclose the details of my cases."

Jeanine seemed a bit disappointed.

"Okay." She said. He felt as though he was just doing his job.

"Well, I can tell you more about my job, or tell you about some cases from the sixties and seventies."

"Um, okay I guess..." She replied, unsure.

"Maybe I'll tell you about Ted Bundy."

"Ted who?"

"Ted Bundy. One of the more well known serial killers." Spencer was really confused. He thought most people knew about him. Maybe not everyone was like his friends and colleagues. "He's actually a really interesting person, from a psychological viewpoint. He was a really charismatic man, and would use his social skills as well as exploit women's sympathy to-"

"Okay, um...Maybe let's just order our food?" She smiled.

"Oh, okay." He had been used to being interrupted during his rants. Lilith was one of the only people who didn't stop him from ranting. She would always listen and was always genuinely interested in the things he said. _Oh well_ , he thought. _Not everyone likes my rants, so just stop bringing her into everything._

"What would you like to order?" The waiter asked.

"The chef's choice." Spencer quickly replied.

"I'll have the waffles, with some cream and strawberries. Organic strawberries. Oh, and also, is this dish gluten-free?"

The waiter plastered a fake smile.

"No, but I'll ask if we can make it so."

"Thank you, you can go now."

As soon as the waiter left, Jeanine turned back to Spencer.

"Gosh, he was rude. You saw how he gave me such a dirty look? I don't think I'll come here anymore."

"Give the food a chance, Jeanine. So...uh, are you allergic to gluten?"

"Well no, not really. But I heard gluten makes you gain weight."

"Gluten is a protein, it doesn't make you gain weight... rather it's because of the foods that glu- you know what, never mind." The doctor sighed. "What's your job?" He changed the subject.

"Me? I'm an accountant for a bike manufacturing company. But I hate that job, so I think maybe I'll quit and find something else. All the people there just gossip so much. There's a girl there called Gabby and she's a _nightmare_. She's seriously evil, she really is..."

Jeanine continued to rant about her workplace for another nine minutes and sixteen seconds until the food came out.

"Thanks for listening to me, Spence. You're super sweet."

Spencer didn't know how to feel about her calling him "Spence". It was only his friends that would call him that, usually.

"No problem." he replied with a small smile. He looked down at his food. A lamb chop with some sweet potatoes and herbs. A good surprise. He smiled.

"Oh my god, that looks so good. Could I taste some after?" She asked after having taken a bite of her waffle.

Spencer didn't really feel like sharing, as he was quite weary of the germs.

"Sure, Jeanine." He replied reluctantly.

The two continued to talk for a bit, but their conversation was punctuated by many minutes of silence.

Spencer offered to pay for the both of them, and they left the restaurant.

"Thanks, Spence. It was a nice date. I'd like to do it again and get to know more about you."

The doctor didn't know if he felt the same way. His feelings toward her were quite neutral. They hadn't really clicked, but maybe he had to be more patient.

"Yeah, we can go on another date."

"Okay then, I'll call you sometime, Spence." Jeanine smiled and kissed him on the cheek before walking away.

The doctor sighed as he stepped in his apartment. He went to turn on the light, just before realising it was already on. Was he being robbed? He tiptoed to the living room and grabbed an umbrella.

"Who's here?" He said, as he clenched his 'weapon'.

"It's just me, Spencer." Answered a sleepy voice.

"Lilith? What are you doing here?"

"I didn't feel like staying in my apartment. And you gave me the keys to yours, so might just as well use them."

She was lying down on the couch, wearing joggings and a tank top. And yet, she felt so natural and charming at that moment.

Spencer started laughing.

"Okay, you can stay. I actually wanted to show you this DVD I found at target. The movie looks hilariously terrible." He said, opening a cupboard and getting excited.

"Bring it on, comrade! I'll make some tea!" Lilith stood up and trotted to the kitchen.

Spencer smiled as he watched her figure disappear into the next room. He truly was happy.


	27. Chapter 27

Spencer

"I got him!" The doctor yelled, tackling the unsub. He fiercely held him down and took out the handcuffs from his back pocket. After immobilizing the man, he handed the criminal over to a police officer, who started reciting the Miranda rights.

Spencer walked away to a corner of the hangar, trying to get away from the rest of the team, and brought his hand over to his forehead. He let out a long sigh, exhausted. The case had drained him. He couldn't think straight. Spencer wondered if his headaches were back. It had been some time since he hadn't had one, but the stress he had undergone was putting his mind under immense pressure. Derek made his way toward the doctor.

"Good job today, Reid." Morgan patted the shoulder of his friend before he saw the young doctor's face. "Hey...are you okay?"

"Thanks. Uh, yeah I'm okay. It's all good. Maybe we should get back to the police station." Spencer said while looking away and shaking his head as if he was trying to get rid of his thoughts.

"Yeah. We got to finish some paperwork." The agent replied, still doubtful and worried about his friend.

The two teammates headed to the station where they had to close the case. They needed a few hours more of work, getting the details of the case filled in as well as recording the testimony of some remaining witnesses and the confession of the unsub. Despite the time going by, Spencer wasn't really feeling better.

"Okay guys, I can drive you back home, since you're all on the road home." JJ sighed, grabbing her car keys.

"I call dibs on the front seat." Rossi replied.

Spencer looked out of the window, the streetlights racing past the car, occasionally casting their light on his face. He gave out a small sigh. All the teammates were talking about their plans for the weekend, a potential hang out at a restaurant, trying to get their minds off the case. Spencer, however, couldn't really focus on the conversation as he let his mind wander. He was just so mentally tired. All he wanted was emotional support.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

The doctor hurriedly took it out, expecting a message from Lilith. She always knew when to text him. However, upon looking at the screen, he saw that he was wrong. He felt slightly disappointed.

From: Jeanine

 _Hey! I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date tomorrow? I have had a bad day at work today and I'd really like to talk to you about everything... Thanks, XX_

Spencer let out a small sigh. _Sure, why not_ , He thought. Maybe having someone else talk about their problems would help him forget his. Probably not, but he didn't want to let Jeanine down when he promised her a second date.

"Hey, Reid, anything going on back there? Is it your girlfriend texting you?" Rossi teased.

"Uhm, kind of?"

"What?! Spencer! You hadn't told us you were finally dating Lilith!" Emily said, shocked.

"That would be because I'm not. I went on ONE date with Jeanine, her friend."

"Oh." JJ replied, a little disappointed. "I thought you and Lilith had a thing together. So, are you going on a second date with this Jeanine? Do you like her? How is she like?"

"Yes, I'm going on a second date with her tomorrow. Please don't ask a lot of questions, I'm just really tired. I'm so sorry, I'm just confused myself."

"Hey, don't worry. Just take your time and rest for tomorrow. Okay?"JJ replied, her eyebrows furrowed in the driver's mirror.

"Okay..." He replied, feeling himself dozing off.

Lilith

The young woman was worried. It was already near midnight, and she still hadn't received a message from Spencer. He would always text her whenever he came back from a case, to tell her that he was okay. She was biting her nails again. Had anything happened to him? There were so many thoughts running through her head, she couldn't stay still. She jumped on her feet and slid on a jacket. Lilith took the flights of stairs in record time and knocked on her friend's door. After a while, she realized how stupid the decision was. He was probably asleep anyway. She turned around to go down the stairs again, just before she heard the door unlock.

"Hey...Lilith? What are you doing here?" Spencer asked in a sleepy voice.

"Oh, Doc... Sorry, you were probably asleep, I'm just...I-"

"Hey, don't worry, it's okay. Do you wanna come in?" He replied, rubbing his eye. Despite his exhaustion, he was genuinely happy to see her again after the past few days on the case.

"Oh, seriously, I don't want to bother you. I probably woke you up...it's just that I was so worried... you didn't text me and, to be quite honest...you don't look so good." She rambled.

Spencer let out a small chuckle. "Yeah...This case has just been really tiring, mentally and physically. I'm just not in a really great place right now. Sorry I forgot to text you, I just fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Thank you for checking in on me, Lilith."

"Okay, I see. Um... you should probably sleep right now, but maybe we could hang out at that noodle restaurant and talk about it tomorrow? My shift ends around seven."

"Um- about that. I already told Jeanine we'd have a second date tomorrow evening. But I really would like to hang out with you." It was true. He'd much rather have a bowl of ramen and talk about his feelings. He was craving her company. But a promise was a promise, and Jeanine wasn't _that_ bad, all things considered.

"Oh." Lilith replied, a sad look on her face. "Okay, maybe another time then. Well, I'll let you sleep. Goodnight, Doc."

"Goodnight, Lilith."

Lilith walked a few steps, before turning back.

"Doc?"

"Yes?"

The young woman threw her arms around his neck. The doctor immediately responded to the hug, putting his own arms around her waist tightly.

"I know you have to talk about it. The case, I mean." She softly whispered in his neck. "I'm here for you. Always. You already know that."

"I really do." Spencer simply replied. "I need to see you again. I really need to talk."

"Monday?"

"Monday."


	28. Chapter 28

"She was hit at the back of the head. It seems to have been a small object, with a diameter of two and a half centimetres. The strike was quite strong, as the crease is quite deep. It was done perpendicular to the head, give or take a few degrees. I'd say fifteen." The medical examiner observed, pointing to the wound of the victim.

"Thank you so much, Lilith. I know it's really late, but you're being so helpful right now." Spencer said.

Lilith's tired face softened.

"Don't worry, Doc. I love my job, and I love helping you guys." She gave him a small smile, which Spencer quickly reciprocated.

"Okay, lovebirds," Rossi said, making the two friends snap out. "This is cute and all, but we gotta work the case."

"I was just thanking her for showing up at midnight for us, that's all." The younger agent pouted.

Rossi chuckled.

"Sure. Of course. Well, Doctor Park, what else should we note?"

"The wound was afflicted deliberately. No signs of hesitation. However, on the second victim, the hand was shakier. And there are many different strikes. But even though he was shaking more, it's clear that the unsub is going deeper."

"So, he's enjoying this." Rossi stated.

"And now he can't stop. The first one was probably an accidental killing. After that, he probably became euphoric and is targeting more people." Spencer spouted out instinctively.

"You might be right. We have to do a background check on the first victim, she's probably somehow related to the unsub."

"Kate Robinson. That's her name." Lilith bounced off, glancing at her file.

"You're a blessing, Lilith." Spencer ruffled the ponytail of his friend.

"Thanks. Now go, little hummingbird, and accomplish your quest!" She replied with a quick smile as she shooed him away.

The two men walked out of the clinic to rapidly jump in their car, a new case to solve.

"So you're really good friends with her, huh?" Rossi asked, his hands on the wheel as Spencer fastened his seatbelt. The younger man pressed his back deeper into his seat.

"She's my best friend, you know that."

"It shows." He simply replied, starting the car. "I'm curious. Have you never thought of her as more? Or hoped for something to happen?"

Spencer let out a small sigh, not particularly liking being bombarded with questions.

"Listen, Rossi. I'm dating someone right now. Jeanine is a really nice girl."

"You're avoiding the question, Spencer. I've met Jeanine. You've never been this comfortable with her. Or with any other woman, as a matter of fact. Lilith is special, right?"

"I-I don't know, Rossi. She's my friend." He repeated himself. He started rubbing his temples. The older man understood that he wanted to be left alone.

"It's your life, kiddo. I'm not judging you." The agent drove off.

Spencer fell silent and looked out of the car window, wondering.

 **Lilith**

"Thanks so much for inviting me!"

"Well thank you for coming, Lilith! You were so helpful for the case, and we know how close you are to Spencer, so there was no reason not for you to come."

Talking of Spencer, Lilith peered over JJ's shoulder to see if the doctor was there.

"Are you looking for Spencer? He's gonna show up a bit late today, he had some paperwork to do. But hey, hanging out with us is also fun!" JJ said in response.

Lilith smiled. "Yeah, of course!"

JJ smiled back, and handed over a drink to the young woman.

"Should we start?" Emily Prentiss asked everyone. She was wearing a dark violet dress, a plastic cup in hand.

"Yup, I'll go first!" Garcia announced, lifting her heavily jewelled hand in the air. She grabbed a bowling ball, pressed it to her chest while deeply inhaling, and tossed it. Despite her efforts, she only knocked down one pin before the ball tipped over in the gutter. Penelope let out a small sigh.

"I've always sucked at this anyway." She said, joining back the group. "Lilith, it's your turn."

Lilith took a sip from her drink, before placing it on the table.

"Yup, the queen of bowling is here!" She giggled as she grabbed the ball.

She fell silent as she focused on the lane. The young woman placed her foot in front of the other and tactfully tossed the ball across. Nine of the pins had been knocked down.

Only one left.

She grabbed a second bowling ball. Looking straight ahead, she puffed her cheeks, her eyes fixated on the remaining pin. With a swift hand movement, she let go.

The last pin tipped over with deafening ease.

"Spare!" Prentiss yelled, lifting her cup to the air.

Lilith turned back to the group, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"I know, I know, I'm amazing." Lilith said, pretending to fan herself while giggling.

"Pfttt... beginner's luck, I'd say." Derek joked.

"Oh yeah? Try me." Lilith smirked defiantly, turning to him with a hand on her hip.

"Ooohhh... is it me or is it getting a little flirty in here?" JJ laughed, teasing the two.

"I mean, now that we've established that nothing is going to happen between Spencer and Lilith, we might have a new couple here..." Emily joined in on JJ's gossip.

Garcia interfered. "Hey! That's my man you're talking about! Although, I wouldn't even be mad if it was Lilith that was the one to snatch him away..."

"Guys! Stop it!" Derek started cracking up.

The three women laughed loudly, their drinks in hand.

Lilith felt weird. She grabbed her elbows. This was unusual. She was used to having the group of friends joke about her and Spencer being together, and suddenly... they stopped. This left a strange feeling in Lilith's chest, one that she couldn't exactly pinpoint. But she knew one thing, she wasn't very comfortable. It didn't bother her much when the team teased Spencer and her about being a couple. In fact, she found it quite funny. But this... this was different. She was no longer seen as the potential girlfriend. Just as his best friend. _And that should be enough._ She told herself.

"Lilith?" A familiar voice asked behind her.

She turned around.

"Spencer? Hey! How are you?"

"Good! Um, I didn't know you'd come tonight." Spencer replied, quickly looking away. He seemed happy to see her but somehow flustered.

"Are you okay?" Lilith asked, in a lower voice.

"Oh. Um, yeah." He looked back at her. Their eyes crossed. His messy bangs were slightly falling in his eyes, and his face was a little red. Lilith looked at him for a moment, a little confused.

He was cute.

Like, really cute. Of course, she'd always known he was cute. But she'd never actually taken a second to take a good look at him. She would always look at him, even stare him in the eyes sometimes, but she never noticed how nice his brown eyes looked, and how they had small specks of hazel in them, or how the way his bangs fell on his forehead...

"Spencer! Lilith!" A woman yelled from behind the two. Lilith quickly pulled her gaze away and saw Jeanine walking towards them in the distance. Spencer scratched the back of his head.

"Oh yeah, I invited her too."

"That's cool." Lilith smiled.

"Hey, you guys! I'm so excited to play bowling with all of you! I would have liked to say that I'll be the winner, but since Lilith is here, I doubt it!" Jeanine laughed.

Lilith joined in.

"Yeah, I was crowned bowling queen back in college." The young woman explained to Spencer.

"Weren't you sixteen when you entered college?" Spencer asked Lilith with a smirk.

"Fourteen, actually. And you were twelve or thirteen, so we're not that different in the end." Lilith teased.

"I never said otherwise." He teased back.

"Wow! You guys are like, geniuses. I failed my entry twice, so I only entered college when I was nineteen." Jeanine got closer to Spencer and grabbed his arm. "But oh well, I still managed to snatch you, so I'm probably not that stupid and doing something right." She squeezed his arm against her, before pressing her lips against his cheek. Lilith just looked upon the two of them, a little awkward.

"Lilith! It's your turn again!" Garcia announced from the lane.

"Coming up!" She paced back, relieved to no longer have to third wheel, and grabbed the heaviest ball she could find.

Lilith placed herself in her signature position, one foot in front of the other. And yet, despite having done this hundreds of times, she felt less stable than usual. As if she might tip over at any moment. She simply closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to shake the thoughts away. But the image of her friend, simply leaving a kiss on Spencer's cheek... as if it was nothing... it taunted her. She simply couldn't push it away, like a pest.

 _Slip_.

The ball fell out of her hands, with no thought. It rolled for a few meters, before falling into the gutter, having knocked down none of the pins.

Lilith looked, astonished. This hadn't happened to her in years. There was a reason why she had a title, right? She was utterly confused. Something was wrong with her. But what? This was different from anything she'd experienced before.

"I-I'm sorry guys, I'll have a second shot. It's probably my luck from the first round that's catching up."

She grabbed a second ball. Her head was buzzing, with flashes of moments. Images of Jeanine and Spencer. Again, she shook her head and tried to focus on the pins, despite her mind being seemingly somewhere else.

 _Slip._

This time, the ball fell into the gutter before having made it a meter on the lane. _What the hell was going on?_

"Hey, Lilith, what's going on? Are you okay? This is really weird..." Jeanine asked, placing her hand on the shoulder of her friend, genuinely worried.

"Yeah, um... no, not really. I feel really weird, I don't know why. I think I'll head home."

And as Lilith walked out of the place, she realised that, for the first time in a while, she wasn't feeling her cheerful self. She just wanted to be alone.


End file.
